Significance of catecholamine excretion in the follow‐up of sympathoblastomas

• Published in: Cancer Vol. 27; no. 1; pp. 228 - 232
• Main Authors: de Gutiérrez Moyano, Marta Barontini, Bergadá, Cesar, Becú, Luis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.01.1971
• Subjects: Age Factors; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Ganglioneuroma - urine; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Mandelic Acids - urine; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue - mortality; Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue - therapy; Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue - urine; Neuroblastoma - mortality; Neuroblastoma - therapy; Neuroblastoma - urine; Norepinephrine - urine; Time Factors; Vanilmandelic Acid - urine
• ISSN: 0008-543X; 1097-0142
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(197101)27:1<228::AID-CNCR2820270132>3.0.CO;2-F

It is our purpose in this report to show the convenience in carrying out serial determinations of norepinephrine (NE) and 3‐methoxy‐4‐hydroxymandelic acid (VMA) in the follow‐up of children with tumors derived from the neural crest. Forty‐three children were studied before treatment. In all except one, the urinary excretion of VMA and/or NE was abnormally high. In the remaining child, only the urinary excretion of dopamine was increased. Thirty‐one of them could be followed. After treatment, the values became normal in 14 individuals. Thirteen of them are alive after 1 to 4 years. The remaining child died of an intercurrent disease. In the other 17 children, the urinary levels remained high. Fifteen of them died, and 2 are alive—one with metastases and the other with an inextirpable ganglioneuroma. In another 7 children studied after surgery, urinary VMA and NE were normal; all of them are alive. It is concluded that normalization of catecholamine excretion suggests a favorable evolution of the disease. Also, there is an improved prognosis in children treated under one year of age.