Salvage chemotherapy regimens with arsenic trioxide for relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma: a promising approach.
Xiaoshan Liu, Xiaomin Peng, Shu Yang, Haijin Liu, Shouhua Zhang, Jinhu Wang, Yuhan Ma, Yu Wu, Zhixuan Wang, Wenjun Weng, Yang Li
Author Information
Xiaoshan Liu: Pediatric Oncology, Children's Medical Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No.107, Yanjiang West Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China.
Xiaomin Peng: Pediatric Oncology, Children's Medical Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No.107, Yanjiang West Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China.
Shu Yang: Pediatric Oncology, Children's Medical Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No.107, Yanjiang West Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China.
Haijin Liu: Department of Pediatric Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, 341000, Jiangxi, China.
Shouhua Zhang: Department of General Surgery, Jiangxi Provincial Children's Hospital, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China.
Jinhu Wang: Department of Surgical Oncology, Children's Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310052, Zhejiang, China.
Yuhan Ma: Pediatric Oncology, Children's Medical Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No.107, Yanjiang West Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China.
Yu Wu: Pediatric Oncology, Children's Medical Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No.107, Yanjiang West Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China.
Zhixuan Wang: Pediatric Oncology, Children's Medical Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No.107, Yanjiang West Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China.
Wenjun Weng: Pediatric Oncology, Children's Medical Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No.107, Yanjiang West Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China.
Yang Li: Pediatric Oncology, Children's Medical Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No.107, Yanjiang West Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China. drliyang@126.com. ORCID
In patients with relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma (NB), the limited efficacy of conventional chemotherapies necessitates the exploration of new treatment options. Previous studies have highlighted the anti-tumor properties of arsenic trioxide (ATO) in high-risk NB (HR-NB). This study aims to assess the effectiveness and safety of ATO combined with salvage chemotherapy regimens, featuring cyclophosphamide and topotecan, as a foundational treatment for children with relapsed or refractory NB. Eleven patients (four relapsed, seven refractory NB) were retrospectively analyzed for efficacy and treatment relevance. Salvage treatments, incorporating ATO (0.18 mg/kg daily for 8 h intravenously on days 1 to 10), were administered upon disease progression or relapse, with assessments conducted every two cycles. Treatments had 63.6% efficacy, with six cases of partial response, one case of stable disease, and four cases of disease progression. The overall response rate was 54.5%, and the disease control rate was 63.6%. Importantly, the systemic toxicity experienced by patients following salvage chemotherapy with ATO was mild. Salvage chemotherapy regimens featuring ATO demonstrated potential for prolonging disease stabilization for relapsed or refractory HR-NB patients, exhibiting both favorable efficacy and safety profiles. This suggests further clinical exploration and promotion of this therapeutic approach in the treatment of NB.
