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  • Title: Neuroblastoma--a surgical perspective.
    Author: Losty P, Quinn F, Breatnach F, O'Meara A, Fitzgerald RJ.
    Journal: Eur J Surg Oncol; 1993 Feb; 19(1):33-6. PubMed ID: 8436238.
    Abstract:
    The role of an aggressive surgical policy in the management of neuroblastoma (NBL) was examined in a retrospective study from a total of 57 patients presenting to a single institution between 1979 and 1989. Surgery consisted of either primary excision of tumour or elective resection following intensive chemotherapy. Two year disease-free survival (DFS) for the entire group was 100% for Stage I patients (n = 2), 86% for Stage II (n = 7), 55% for Stage III (n = 11), 12% for stage IV (n = 33) and 50% for stage IVs (n = 4). In all long-term survivors, surgical excision of primary tumour had been achieved. Elective surgery of primary tumour was not performed in six patients with Stage IV disease; median survival for these patients was eight months compared with 19 months for those other patients with Stage IV disease who did have surgery +/- high dose melphalan and autologous bone marrow rescue. Postoperative complications were documented in 13 of 48 operated patients (27%), emphasising the technical challenges encountered in resection of NBL. Age at presentation and site of primary tumour were major factors affecting prognosis: patients who presented < 1 years of age (n = 15) achieved 80% DFS, > 1 year and < 2 years (n = 12), 33%, and > 2 years (n = 30) 13%; 10 of 11 patients (91%) with primary supradiaphragmatic disease are alive and well compared with 10 out of 46 (22%) with infradiaphragmatic disease (P = 0.01). Based on the experience from this centre, it would appear that surgery can be curative for patients with Stage I, II and III disease but can only, at best, prolong DFS for Stage IV patients. Alternative therapeutic strategies are indicated for this latter group of patients.
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