[Localized thoracic neuroblastoma: the role of surgery and therapeutic results. Apropos of 40 cases]. / Neuroblastomes thoraciques localisées: place de la chirurgie et résultats thérapeutiques. A propos de 40 cas.

From 1982 to 1987, forty children with non-metastatic thoracic neuroblastoma were treated with a same therapeutic regimen. According to TNM staging, there were II CS I, 19 CS II and 10 CS III. All patients underwent surgery; thirty had primary surgical excision; in ten whose tumor were deemed uresectable, surgery was delayed until after a trial of chemotherapy. Operation was completed by several courses of chemotherapy in case of microscomic residual disease or lymph node involvement; radiotherapy was delivered in case of gross residual disease. Using this therapeutic approach. Event Free Survival is 92% with a median follow up of 40 months. Severe complications were rare and sequellae appear to be related to the disease i.e. neurologic consequence of cord compression.