Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: COOPERATIVE MULTICENTER TRIAL FOR THE TREATMENT OF INFANTS WITH NEUROBLASTOMA
Brief Summary: RATIONALE: Sometimes neuroblastoma will regress without treatment, but sometimes additional treatment may be necessary. Giving more than one chemotherapy drug after surgery to remove the tumor may kill more tumor cells.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study combination chemotherapy or observation following surgery in treating infants with neuroblastoma.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* • Established diagnosis of neuroblastoma according to the International Neuroblastoma Staging System (INSS).

  * Age below 21 years.
  * High risk neuroblastoma defined as either:

    1. INSS stage 2, 3, 4, and 4s with MYCN amplification, or
    2. INSS stage 4 without MYCN amplification aged \> 12 months at diagnosis
  * Patients who have received no previous chemotherapy except for one cycle of etoposide and carboplatin (VP16/Carbo). In this situation patients will receive Rapid COJEC induction and the first Rapid COJEC cycle may be replaced by the first cycle VP16/Carbo (etoposide / carboplatin).
  * Written informed consent, including agreement of parents or legal guardian for minors, to enter a randomised study if the criteria for randomisation are met.
  * Tumour cell material available for determination of biological prognostic factors.
  * Females of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test. Patients of childbearing potential must agree to use an effective birth control method. Female patients who are lactating must agree to stop breast-feeding.
  * Registration of all eligibility criteria with the data centre within 6 weeks from diagnosis.
  * Provisional follow up of 5 years.
  * National and local ethical committee approval.

Exclusion Criteria:

Any negative answer concerning the inclusion criteria of the study

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B: DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed disseminated neuroblastoma

  * No local or regional neuroblastoma
  * No disseminated disease that is demonstrated by meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scan only
* Needle biopsy of primary tumor required

  * Fine needle aspiration is not adequate

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Not specified

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* No prior chemotherapy
* No other prior therapy
C: DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed neuroblastoma
* Observation stratum:

  * MYCN gene not amplified
  * Infants with stage I-IVS disease OR
  * Over 1 year of age and stage I or II resectable disease
* Standard-risk stratum:

  * MYCN gene not amplified
  * Infants with serious symptoms and stage II-IVS disease OR
  * Over 1 year of age with stage II or III unresectable disease
* High-risk stratum:

  * Stage IV disease OR
  * Stage I-IVS MYCN gene-amplified disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 20 and under

Performance status:

* Not specified

Life expectancy:

* Not specified

Hematopoietic:

* Not specified

Hepatic:

* Not specified

Renal:

* No kidney insufficiency

Cardiovascular:

* No cardiac insufficiency

Other:

* Not pregnant
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No other serious illness

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* Not specified

Chemotherapy:

* No prior chemotherapy within 6 months after diagnosis

Endocrine therapy:

* Not specified

Radiotherapy:

* Not specified

Surgery:

* Not specified
D: DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: See General Eligibility Criteria

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: See General Eligibility Criteria

Answer: D