Treatment of children with neurogenic sarcoma experience at the children's hospital of Philadelphia, 1958–1984

Abstract

Twenty-four children aged 3 months to 18 years (median, 12 years) were treated for neurogenic sarcoma at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Cancer Research Center from 1958 through 1984. Sixteen patients had neurofibromatosis (NF). The tumors arose in an extremity or in the trunk (15 patients), the retroperitoneum-pelvis (6), or other sites (3). Twelve children underwent grossly complete excision of localized sarcoma; of them, five had no known residual tumor and seven had proven microscopic residual disease. Ten of the remaining 12 patients had grossly visible, residual localized disease, and two had lung metastases. After operation, nine were treated on a protocol with local radiation therapy (4000-6000 rad) plus vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide with or without Adriamycin (doxorubicin). The other 15 were treated variably. At 3 years, the proportion of tumor-free survivors was 9 of 24 (37.5%). The significant favorable factors were the initial surgical removal of all gross tumor (9 of 12 with tumor excision were tumor-free survivors at 3 years compared to none of 12 with gross residual sarcoma; P less than 0.01), and a tumor mitotic rate under one per high-power field. No significant correlation was found between tumor-free survival expectancy and age, race, sex, the presence of NF, the site and size of the primary tumor, or use of the chemoradiotherapy regimen. More effective treatment programs are needed for children with neurogenic sarcoma, especially for those with unresectable tumors.