Antineoplaston Therapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic, Recurrent, or Refractory Neuroblastoma

• Status: Terminated
• Trial end date: 1999-03-29
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Current therapies for Metastatic, Recurrent, or Refractory Neuroblastoma provide very limited benefit to the patient. The anti-cancer properties of Antineoplaston therapy suggest that it may prove beneficial in the treatment of Metastatic, Recurrent, or Refractory Neuroblastoma.

PURPOSE: This study is being performed to determine the effects (good and bad) that Antineoplaston therapy has on patients with Metastatic, Recurrent, or Refractory Neuroblastoma.

• Phase: Phase 2
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Burzynski Research Institute

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed incurable neuroblastoma that is unlikely to respond to existing therapy, meeting 1 of the following criteria:

• Metastatic disease

• Progressive, recurrent, or persistent disease after initial therapy, including surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy

• Measurable disease by MRI or CT scan

• Tumor must be at least 2 cm

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 6 months and over

Performance status:

• Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy:

• At least 2 months

Hematopoietic:

• WBC at least 2,000/mm^3

• Platelet count at least 50,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• No hepatic insufficiency

• Bilirubin no greater than 2.5 mg/dL

• SGOT and SGPT no greater than 5 times upper limit of normal

Renal:

• No renal insufficiency

• Creatinine no greater than 2.5 mg/dL

• No history of renal conditions that contraindicate high dosages of sodium

Cardiovascular:

• No uncontrolled hypertension

• No history of congestive heart failure

• No history of other cardiovascular conditions that contraindicate high dosages of sodium

Pulmonary:

• No serious lung disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Other:

• Not pregnant or nursing

• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 weeks after study participation

• No active infection

• No nonmalignant systemic disease

• Not a high medical or psychiatric risk

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy

• No concurrent immunomodulating agents

Chemotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics

• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas)

Endocrine therapy:

• Concurrent corticosteroids allowed

Radiotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics

• At least 8 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery:

• See Disease Characteristics

• Recovered from prior surgery

Other:

• Prior cytodifferentiating agents allowed

• No prior antineoplastons

• No other concurrent antineoplastic agents