Successful salvage chemotherapy for isolated central nervous system (CNS) relapse in Burkitt lymphoma: monocentric experience of 3 pediatric patients

J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2008 Dec;30(12):972-5. doi: 10.1097/MPH.0b013e31818b3584.

Abstract

Short-term intensive chemotherapy regimens have substantially improved the prognosis of pediatric patients with Burkitt lymphoma (BL), which now has an excellent overall outcome. However, central nervous system (CNS) involvement at diagnosis remains a poor prognostic factor, and progressive or relapsed disease in the CNS is associated with even worse outcomes. We report 3 boys aged 4, 7, and 12 years treated under the French Société Française d'Oncologie Pédiatrique LMB 89/96 protocols who presented, respectively, with CNS-/bone marrow+ stage-IV BL; CNS+ stage-IV BL; and stage-I BL. Each experienced an isolated CNS relapse, which was treated with CNS-directed salvage chemotherapy. All 3 are alive after 11 years of median follow-up, indicating that this chemotherapy regimen can be curative in pediatric BL with isolated CNS relapse.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Burkitt Lymphoma / drug therapy*
  • Burkitt Lymphoma / pathology
  • Central Nervous System Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Central Nervous System Neoplasms / pathology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cyclophosphamide / therapeutic use
  • Cytarabine / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Methotrexate / therapeutic use
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / pathology
  • Remission Induction
  • Salvage Therapy*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Cytarabine
  • Cyclophosphamide
  • Methotrexate

Supplementary concepts

  • MACHO protocol