• Event-free survival at 3 years [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the outcome, in terms of local control, event-free survival, and overall survival, of children with localized unresectable neuroblastoma without MYCN amplification treated with carboplatin, etoposide, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and vincristine followed by surgery.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

Patients receive carboplatin IV over 1 hour and etoposide IV over 2 hours on days 1-3 (courses 1 and 3). Patients receive cyclophosphamide IV over 1 hour on days 1-5 (or orally on days 2 and 3), doxorubicin IV over 6 hours on days 4-5, and vincristine IV on days 1 and 5 (courses 2 and 4). Treatment repeats every 21 days for 4 courses. Patients then undergo surgical resection followed by 2 additional courses of chemotherapy.

Patients are followed at months 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, and 60.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 100 patients will be accrued for this study within 4 years.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of localized unresectable neuroblastoma

  • Stage II or III
  • No MYCN amplification

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• Over 1

Performance status:

• Not specified

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Not specified

Hepatic:

• Not specified

Renal:

• Not specified

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• No prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• No prior radiotherapy

Surgery:

• Not specified