[Effectiveness of intensive chemotherapy in the treatment of medulloblastoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor in children].

Standard and high-risk groups of 77 children with neuroectodermal medulloblastoma were given sandwich chemotherapy. The former group was treated with high-dose chemotherapy complemented with autotransplantation of bone marrow and peripheral stem cells. The treatment proved effective: 7-year recurrence-free survival (0.66 +/- 0.05) (overall survival--0.67 +/- 0.05; recurrence-free--0.62 +/- 0.06). Sandwich chemotherapy administered in standard risk group was followed by 7-year recurrence-free survival (0.84 +/- 0.08). High-dose chemotherapy complemented with autotransplantation of bone marrow and peripheral stem cells in conjunction with high-dose chemotherapy resulted in 6-year recurrence-free survival: 0.77 +/- 0.08 in patients after high-dose chemotherapy and 0.46 +/- 0.10--without it.

[Effect of interleukin-2 on apoptosis and function of human lymphocytes in in-vitro cytostatics culture].

In vitro experiments were conducted to determine the impact of interleukin-2 (IL-2) on apoptosis and function of cytostatic-cultured lymphoid (mononuclear) cells (MNC) of peripheral blood from healthy subjects and children with cancer. Neither slight or any effect on vepesid-16 or carboplatin--cultured MNC apoptosis, nor any phytohemagglutinin--induced proliferation was found. By contrast, in carboplatin- cultured MNC from healthy subjects, IL-2 significantly potentiated their toxicity for tumor cells by producing interferon-gamma. It was concluded that IL-2 predominantly supported MNC functional activity rather than inhibited lymphoid MNC apoptosis in in vitro culture with cytostatic drugs.

[Role of adjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of medulloblastoma in children]. / Rol' ad"iuvantnoi khimioterapii v lechenii medulloblastomy u detei.

A retrospective review was carried out to evaluate the results of treatment (1989-1998) of 81 children, aged under 15, with primary medulloblastoma. Thirty-three patients received surgery and postoperative craniospinal radiotherapy; 48--adjuvant chemotherapy (VCR 1.5 mg/m2, i.v., 1 day; CCNU 75 mg/m2, per os, 1 day; cisplatin 80 mg/m2 or carboplatin 400 mg/m2, i.v., 1 day). Overall 9-year survival was 37 +/- 0.8%. This index in the adjuvant chemotherapy group was 59 +/- 0.8%, without chemotherapy--22 +/- 0.8%.

[Effect of chemoradiotherapy on the pituitary-thyroid system in children with Hodgkin's disease]. / Vliianie khimioluchevogo lecheniia na sostoianie gipofiz-tireidnoi sistemy u detei, bol'nykh limfogranulematozom.

The functional status of the thyroid gland was evaluated in 63 children with Hodgkin's disease, aged 4-15 years, before, in the course of and 5 years after chemoradiation therapy. Thyroxin (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in the blood were assayed. The disease was shown to disrupt the pituitary-thyroid system leading to hypothyroidism development which progressed as the disease advanced. While chemotherapy brought the balance between the peripheral thyroid hormone levels and TSH back to normal, thyroid function decreased again following radiotherapy of the neck. The most pronounced and persistent failure of the pituitary-thyroid system was registered with the total target dose of 30 Gy and higher. Irradiation in a dose of 20 Gy caused less disruption and the function was spontaneously restored within 12 months after the treatment.