Impact of Diagnostic and End-Induction Curie Scores with Tandem
Autologous Transplants for Metastatic High-Risk Neuroblastoma: A Report
from the Children’s Oncology Group
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Diagnostic mIBG (meta-iodobenzylguanidine) scans
are an integral component of response assessment in children with
high-risk neuroblastoma. The role of end of induction (EOI) Curie Scores
(CS) was previously described in patients undergoing a single autologous
hematopoietic cell transplant (AHCT) as consolidation therapy.
OBJECTIVE: We now examine the prognostic significance of CS in
patients randomized to tandem AHCT on the Children’s Oncology Group
(COG) trial ANBL0532. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of
mIBG scans obtained from patients enrolled in COG ANBL0532 was
performed. Evaluable patients had mIBG-avid, International Neuroblastoma
Staging System (INSS) stage 4 disease, did not progress during induction
therapy, consented to consolidation randomization, and received a tandem
AHCT (n=80). Optimal CS cut points maximized the outcome difference (≤
vs >CS cut-off) according to the Youden index.
RESULTS: For recipients of tandem AHCT, the optimal cut point
at diagnosis was CS=12, with superior EFS from study enrollment for
patients with CS<12 (3-year EFS 74.2±7.9%) vs
CS>12 (59.2±7.1%) (p=0.002). At EOI, the optimal cut point
was CS=0, with superior end-induction EFS for patients with CS=0
(72.9±6.4%) vs CS>0 (46.5±9.1%) (p=0.002).
CONCLUSION: In the setting of tandem transplantation for
children with high-risk neuroblastoma, Curie scores at diagnosis and
end-induction may identify a more favorable patient group. Patients
treated with tandem AHCT who exhibited a CS<12 at diagnosis or
CS=0 at EOI had superior EFS compared to those with CS above these cut
points.