Institutional experience of five-day courses of irinotecan as palliative chemotherapy in Chinese patients with refractory neuroblastoma

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy, safety and quality of life of irinotecan in Chinese refractory neuroblastoma patients in affiliated hospitals of China Medical University. Patients and Methods: Seven patients received irinotecan at 40-50 mg/m(2)/day administered as a 60-minute infusion for 5 consecutive days, every 3 weeks. Tumour response, toxicities and performance status were evaluated. Results: Stable disease was observed in 3 of 7 patients (42.9%). Most common grade 3-4 toxicities were myelosuppressive haematologic toxicities. Grade 1-2 nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or cramping and diarrhoea were the most common non-haematologic drug-related toxicities observed. Quality of life was improved in almost all patients. Conclusion: Irinotecan as a single agent was well tolerated and was a very safe regimen in Chinese patients. Although this regimen induced no objective response (CR+PR) in refractory neuroblastoma patients, the clinical benefit rate (CR+PR+SD) was 42.9%. This regimen could alleviate pain and to some extent improve the quality of life for heavily pretreated refractory Chinese neuroblastoma patients.