A new treatment protocol for childhood non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: preliminary evaluation.

Between November 1986 and July 1988, 21 consecutively diagnosed children with nonlocalized abdominal lymphoma (Murphy's stage III and IV without CNS disease) were eligible for treatment with a multidrug chemotherapy schedule. The induction phase was the same for all (fractionated cyclophosphamide, intermedian-dose methotrexate [Mtx], vincristine [Vcr], and prednisone). After that the children were randomized to repeat the same scheme or intercalate teniposide (VM26) plus cytarabine (AraC) with the induction-phase scheme. All of them were treated for only 6 months. The protocol approved to be very effective with 85% remission in all the children and 94% survival in patients surviving the induction phase. The toxicity was acceptable, also considering the characteristics of our population (malnourished children). The group VM26 and AraC had few hospital admissions in spite of the small number of children because they received VM26 and AraC as outpatients. The sale purpose of the present study is to report that with a few simple procedures such as hydration, alkalinization, and drug fractionation, the chemotherapy schemes used can bring about a dramatic improvement in short-term survival.

Fever and neutropenia in children with cancer: a therapeutic approach related to the underlying disease.

Antibiotic monotherapy is increasingly an option for the initial empiric treatment of febrile neutropenic cancer patients. We noted in a previous study that response to empiric therapy was related more to disease classification (solid tumors vs. leukemia) than to the regimen chosen. In the present study we based empiric monotherapy on the underlying disease in treating 240 episodes of fever and neutropenia in 145 children. Patients with leukemia or Stage III/IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (higher risk group) were treated with imipenem-cilastatin, whereas those with solid tumors or Stage I/II non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (lower risk group) received ceftriaxone. The regimens were modified in 15% of lower risk and 45% of higher risk episodes. Overall successful outcomes were obtained in 93.2% of the higher risk (n = 119) and 97.5% of the lower risk (n = 121) episodes. The two groups differed significantly in duration of neutropenia, frequency of positive blood cultures and superinfection and the need for modification of the monotherapy (P < 0.05). Empiric monotherapy based on primary disease appears to be safe and effective for febrile neutropenic children with cancer at our Brazilian institution. Further studies will be needed before these findings can be generalized to patient populations in other settings.

[Fever and neutropenia in children with cancer: a new therapeutic proposal]. / Febre e neutropenia em crianças com câncer: nova proposta terapêutica.

Based on our previous experience treating children with cancer, fever and neutropenia we selected two different empirical regimens: Ceftriaxone once a day, for patients with solid tumors and lymphomas I-II (Low Risk group--LR) and Imipenem for patients with leukemias and lymphomas III-IV (High Risk group--HR). From Oct 1988 to Nov 1989, 121 episodes of fever (F+) and granulocytopenia (G+) in LR Group and 119 in HR Group were studied: the HR had 51.3% documented infections and the LR 58.7%. In the HR Group the following organisms were isolated from the blood cultures: Gram + 52%, Gram - 20% and fungal 28%. In the LR Group 78% of the organisms were Gram+. Positive blood cultures was 21% for the HR Group and 8.3% for the LR Group. There were 23.5% superinfections in the HR Group vs 5.7% in the LR. The mean time and the median time of granulocytopenia was 11.5 and 8 days (HR) and 6.9 and 6.0 days (LR), respectively. There were 14.5% (LR) and 45.4% (HR) modifications to the initial empirical antibiotic regimen (Amphotericin B, Vancomycin and Amikacin). The overall success rate was 97.6% (LR) and 94.2% (HR) and for documented infection the success rate was 95.7% (LR) and 91.8% (HR). We conclude that: a) The allocation of patients to two risk groups aiming to use distinguished therapy, allowed us to delineate two different populations, predominantly based on time of granulocytopenia, disappearance of fever, rate of superinfection, causative organisms and need of additional drugs to the initial scheme.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Fever and granulocytopenia in children with cancer: a study of 299 episodes with two treatment protocols in Brazil.

In Brazil, 226 children with cancer presenting 299 episodes of fever and neutropenia (< or = 500/mm3) were treated with two consecutive empirical regimens. Regimen I-Cefoxitin Amikacin-Carbenicillin; and Regimen II Ceftriaxone-Amikacin. 67.0% of the patients had leukemias or lymphomas, documented infections occurred in 47.2%, superinfections occurred in 18.7% (Reg. I) and 17.8% (Reg. II) of the episodes. The most common agents identified in Reg. I and Reg. II were, respectively, Gram negative rods (55.0%) and Gram positive cocci (52.6%). The overall rate of success with modifications (Amphotericin B, Vancomycin, Clindamycin, Metronidazole) was higher in Reg. II (93.0%) than in Reg. I (84.0%). This study shows that the appropriate formula to maximize the successful treatment of children with cancer, fever and neutropenia in developing nations includes adherence to established principles of supportive care, utilizing the optimal antibiotic agents available in the country. It is important to promote the necessary modifications along the treatment having in mind the high index of resistant agents.

[Evaluation of antimicrobial schemes in episodes of fever and granulocytopenia in children with cancer]. / Evaluación de dos esquemas antimicrobianos en episodios de fiebre y granulocitopenia en niños con cáncer.

The efficacy of two antibiotic regimens used as initial empiric therapy was evaluated in 299 episodes of fever and granulocytopenia in children with cancer. Of these, 148 were treated with the combination cefoxitin-amikacin-carbenicillin and the remaining 151 with ceftriaxone-amikacin. All of the patients were evaluated at the beginning and 72 hours after starting treatment with laboratory tests and based on their clinical condition. Each was classified according to the type of infection. A few modifications were made to the initial treatment plan and in accordance with the clinical condition of each patient. Over 52% of the episodes were due to fever of unknown origin and 47.2% due to infections, of which 33.8% proved to be positive blood cultures mainly for Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The modifications made to the basic treatment regimens were the addition of amphotericin B, clindamycin or vancomycin. An 89.2% therapeutic index percentage was obtained, independent from the use of either antibiotic scheme. The total therapeutic index for the study was 83.6%.

Phase II study of carboplatin as a single drug for relapsed Wilms' tumor: experience of the Brazilian Wilms' Tumor Study Group.

A total of 15 patients with relapsed Wilms' tumor were treated with carboplatin as a single agent. There were six females and nine males, aged between 2 and 9 years (median:5). The treatment consisted of carboplatin given I.V. as a single agent at a dose of 550 mg/m2 over 1 hour every 3 weeks. There were four (26%) complete responses, four (26%) partial responses, one stable disease, and six with progressive disease. In all patients a total of 56 courses were given and the toxicities found were leukopenia and thrombocytopenia. The overall response rate was encouraging and the toxicity was acceptable and reversible.