Vincristine Sulfate in the Treatment of Neuroblastoma in Children

Abstract

VINCRISTINE sulfate, an alkaloid of the periwinkle plant, was made available for clinical use in 1961. Early data suggested activity of this drug in the treatment of children with acute leukemia^1-3 and a variety of solid tumors.^4-6 In children with generalized neuroblastoma, one of three reported by Selawry and Hananian⁴ and three of seven children studied by James and George⁵ demonstrated favorable tumor response to vincristine. The effectiveness of vincristine in children with generalized neuroblastoma was investigated by a co-operative protocol study of the Pediatric Division of the Southwest Cancer Chemotherapy Study Group. The results of this study constitute the basis for this preliminary report. Materials and Methods Twenty children under 15 years of age with a tissue diagnosis of neuroblastoma were registered for the study within a 25-month period. Criteria for admission into this study included measurable lesions with evidence of progressive disease no longer