Lucius F. Sinks

Amputation and adriamycin in primary osteosarcoma.

Abstract Adriamycin has been found effective in metastatic osteogenic sarcoma. To determine its efficacy in osteosarcoma without detectable metastases, 21 patients were given adjuvant adriamycin th...

Toward the development of a play performance scale for children (PPSC)

Performance scales (i.e., Karnofsky), as they measure quality of life, have been used effectively as an integral part of repeated assessment of adult cancer patients for the last several years. An equally concise measure of performance has not been developed for children. The task of developing a scale to assess performance in infants, toddlers, school‐age children, and adolescents is formidable, as the activity measured should be of equal merit at each age level. Although all childhood cancer patients could benefit from a simple‐to‐administer, rapid assessment, children with brain tumors have the greatest need for a repeated measure of performance. The goal, then, is to develop a simplified set of criteria that can be used for assessment of children with brain tumors during hospitalization, at the time of clinic visits, and/or at the time of diagnostic procedures when the patient is in a reasonable state of health. The assessment should be able to be performed by nonprofessional persons. Cancer 56: 1837‐1840, 1985.

An analysis of Ewing's tumor in children at Roswell Park Memorial Institute

Twenty pediatric patients with Ewings tumor seen at Roswell Park Memorial Institute, from 1954 to 1970, have been analyzed. Three patients are considered as cures. As the initial treatment, these three patients were all treated with radiotherapy to the primary tumor and adjuvant chemotherapy. Nine of the 20 patients were treated in this fashion. It was felt that the chemotherapy eradicated the subclinical micrometastasis and thus effected a cure. Five cases with reactivation of primary sites prior to, or simultaneous with, metastasis were noted, indicating incomplete sterilization of tumor by present radiotherapeutic techniques and also suggesting that more aggressive therapy be directed to the primary site along with the systemic chemotherapy.

Intermediate-dose methotrexate versus cranial irradiation in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a ten-year follow-up.

The cure rate of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has improved dramatically. Still there is a paucity of long-term data. With the improving cure rate, the quality of life and avoidance of second cancers have become important concerns. We evaluated 596 children and adolescents with ALL on Cancer and Leukemia Group B 7611 (CALGB 7611) who were randomized between 1976 and 1979 to receive intermediate-dose methotrexate (IDM) plus intrathecal methotrexate (IT MTX) or cranial radiation (CRT) plus IT MTX. After 10 additional years of follow-up, the pattern and significance of the results reported in 1983 are confirmed. IDM offered better hematologic protection (P < 0.0006), better testicular protection (P = 0.002), but CRT offered better central nervous system (CNS) protection (P < 0.0001). The retrieval rate for the 231 patients who relapsed while on therapy or within 6 months of elective cessation of therapy is 20 +/- 5%. For the 33 patients who relapsed more than 6 months after cessation of therapy, the retrieval rate is 49 +/- 10%. For all patients, the 12-year event-free survival was 37 +/- 3.6% and the overall survival was 49 +/- 3.5%. There were two cases of second malignancies reported in 3,502 person-years of survival. Both occurred following salvage therapy. There was no evidence of an excessive number of second primaries over the general population of children. There were no reported instances of clinical cardiopathy. After a median follow-up of 11 years, there have been no reports of cardiopathy and no evidence of an increased risk of second cancers in children treated on CALGB 7611. While the overall outcome is not what would be expected with modern therapy, one can conclude that CRT offered better CNS protection, but IDM offered better systemic and testicular protection. A small risk of second cancers or cardiac dys-function may be acceptable with therapies which produce long-term documented survival benefits.

Chemotherapy of osteosarcoma.

Recent advances in the use of chemotherapy for treatment of osteosarcoma have altered out pessimism in this disease. Results are presented from 3 groups of investigators using different agents as adjuvant chemotherapy following immediately upon amputation of the primary. The Roswell Park Memorial Institute began a regime, immediately after amputation, of adriamycin 30 mg/M2 for 3 doses and given every 4-6 weeks. This study was subsequently expanded in a cooperative group (ALGB) and the results on 20 patients analyzed. At 19 months approximately 75 per cent are free of any pulmonary metastases compared with 10-25 per cent expected from amputation alone. Similar results have been obtained by other Centers using different chemotherapeutic agents. In Boston Childrens Hospital high dose Methotrexate with citrovorum factor is used. In 12 of these patients local control of the primary by surgery was obtained and of these only 1 developed pulmonary metastases during an observation time of 23 months. At the M. D. Anderson Hospital multi-drug combinations were used including Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine, L-Phenylalamine Mustard and Adriamycin. They reported a survival rate of 55 per cent (10 out of 18). All of these neoplastic agents have toxic side effects but when carefully used these effects are minimized and the quality of life is quite good. Many questions must be answered by future controlled long term follow-up studies.

Granulocyte transfusions in children using filter-collected cells.

Twenty‐three children with various stages and morphologic types of leukemia were treated with multiple granulocyte transfusions obtained by filtration leukapheresis when neutropenia‐associated infection appeared unresponsive to antibiotics. All children meeting the above qualifications were given granulocyte transfusions during this time period. Twenty‐one of 23 became afebrile during or shortly after the transfusions; one died with disseminated Herpes simplex; and one became well enough to be discharged, although he was never free of fever. Frequent mild to moderate fever and chills were noted. One child developed a severe pulmonary reaction followed by resolution of pneumonia. Filtration leukapheresis is a useful adjunct in controlling severe infections in neutropenic children.

Unusal complications of pentamidine in the treatment of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia

A 3-year-old girl, during a remission phase of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, developed Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. The infection was treated successfully with pentamidine, but she developed toxic epidermal necrolysis and azotemia. Acute tubular necrosis of the kidney was found at autopsy.

Adjuvant adriamycin and cisplatin in newly diagnosed, nonmetastatic osteosarcoma of the extremity.

Twenty-two patients with newly diagnosed nonmetastatic osteosarcoma of the extremity were treated with an adjuvant chemotherapeutic regimen consisting of Adriamycin (Adria Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio) and cisplatin. Fourteen of the 22 patients remain continuously disease free for 65+ to 113+ months, with a median time on study of 70+ months. The 72-month disease-free survival estimate is 64%. Pulmonary metastases occurred in six patients, an isolated stump recurrence was seen in one patient, and one patient had a local recurrence following a limb-salvage procedure. For those patients in whom pulmonary metastases developed, the onset was late in three of six, and the number of metastases was three or fewer in all patients. Two patients with pulmonary metastases and one with a stump recurrence have apparently been salvaged, thus resulting in a 77% 72-month survival. Toxicity observed in patients treated with this regimen was in keeping with previous reports. This chemotherapeutic regimen is effective in the adjuvant therapy of nonmetastatic osteosarcoma of the extremity. It should be incorporated into other adjuvant protocols in an effort to continue to improve the outcome in patients with osteosarcoma.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in children.

Until recently the prognosis of childhood non‐Hodgkins lymphoma has been poor. A program of combination chemotherapy and involved area radiotherapy was instituted in the Department of Pediatrics at Roswell Park Memorial Institute in 1971. Thirty‐one biopsy proven untreated children entered this study. There were 4 Stage I, 9 Stage II, 6 Stage III, and 12 Stage IV. Initial site of presentation was neck and mediastinum in 16, abdomen in 12, and other sites in three. Nineteen were lymphocytic, seven histiocytic, three undifferentiated, and one was mixed. None had well differentiated or nodular histology. Chemotherapy consisted of vincristine and steroid induction along with intrathecal methotrexate followed by a maintenance phase consisting of daily oral 6‐mercaptopurine, weekly oral methotrexate and monthly pulses of vincristine, cyclophosphamide and steroid. Because of initially poor results in Stage IV disease, the protocol was altered midway and high dose methotrexate on three occasions following induction was added. Twelve of 13 Stage I and II patients remain disease free. Four of 6 Stage III patients and 4 of 12 Stage IV patients remain disease free. Only 1/7 of the Stage IV patients prior to high dose methotrexate is disease free, whereas, 3/5 patients with high dose methotrexate are disease free. In total, 19/30 (63%) are disease free for a period ranging from 15+ to 63+ months with 19 patients being disease free for over one year and 12 for over two years.

The influence and reliability of neurologic assessment and karnofsky performance score on prognosis

The neurologic examination is important in the early diagnosis of brain tumors in children. Only in brain stem gliomas may the neurologic examination be better than computed tomographic scans in determining the progression. However, in general, the traditional neurologic examination has little or no value for prognosis. Reversible, associated features of brain tumors such as seizures or increased intracranial pressure may alter the patients ability to function neurologically, but may not influence the prognosis regarding the tumor status. The Karnofsky functional status, to a large extent, reflects an adults ability to work and has prognostic value but is largely inapplicable to children. Thus, a quality‐of‐life scale for children is needed. Cancer 56: 1834‐1836, 1985.