High-Dose Chemotherapy Shows Promise in Treating Stage 4B Retinoblastoma

In a promising development, researchers in the United States have reported a successful treatment of stage 4B retinoblastoma, a highly aggressive form of eye cancer, using high-dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell rescue. The study, published in Pediatric Blood & Cancer, involved eight patients with stage 4B retinoblastoma who received intensive chemotherapy, including high-dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell rescue. Two patients survived event-free at 40 and 101 months, indicating a potential cure for this previously lethal disease.

Key Takeaways:

• The study involved eight patients with stage 4B retinoblastoma who received intensive chemotherapy, including high-dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell rescue.
• Five patients received high-dose chemotherapy at a median of 6 months (range 4-6) post-diagnosis of stage 4b disease.
• Two patients survived event-free at 40 and 101 months, with one patient being irradiated following recovery from the high-dose chemotherapy.
• Intensive multimodality therapy may be beneficial for some patients with stage 4b retinoblastoma.
• The study suggests a potential cure for stage 4B retinoblastoma, which was previously considered lethal.
• I.J. Dunkel and colleagues, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, led the research and published their findings in Pediatric Blood & Cancer.

Statistics:

• Stage 4b retinoblastoma was previously considered lethal in virtually all cases reported.
• Two patients survived event-free at 40 and 101 months.
• Five patients received high-dose chemotherapy at a median of 6 months (range 4-6) post-diagnosis of stage 4B disease.
• Three patients had leptomeningeal disease and one patient had only direct extension to the CNS via the optic nerve.
• Five patients had stage 4B disease at the time of original diagnosis of the intra-ocular retinoblastoma.
• The median follow-up was not specified.

Sources:

• Dunkel, I.J., et al. (2010). High-dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell rescue for stage 4B retinoblastoma. Pediatric Blood & Cancer, 55(1), 149-52.