Cyclophosphamide and Prednisone With or Without Immunoglobulin in Treating Abnormal Muscle Movement in Children With Neuroblastoma

This randomized phase III trial is studying cyclophosphamide, prednisone, and immunoglobulin to see how well they work compared to cyclophosphamide and prednisone alone in treating patients with abnormal eye and trunk muscle movements (known as opsoclonus myoclonus ataxia) associated with neuroblastoma. Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Steroid therapy decreases inflammation. Combining chemotherapy and steroid therapy with immunoglobulin may be effective in treating abnormal muscle movement associated with neuroblastoma. Chemotherapy(cyclophosphamide), prednisone and intravenous gamma globulin all suppress the immune system which may be helpful in treating opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia (OMA).

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. Determine if immunosuppressive therapy with cyclophosphamide and prednisone is an effective therapy for neuroblastoma associated opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia (OMA) and can constitute a back-bone therapy upon which to build additional therapy. II. Determine in a randomized study if the addition of intravenous gammaglobulin therapy to the back-bone therapy of prednisone and cyclophosphamide improves response of neuroblastoma associated OMA. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. Determine if intravenous gammaglobulin therapy improves the motor coordination of children diagnosed with neuroblastoma and presenting with OMA syndrome as assessed by neurological examination and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS). II. Determine if these regimens improve functional outcome in these patients. III. Investigate the biology of neuroblastoma associated OMA, with specific regard to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, anti-neuronal antibodies, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings and tumor biology. IV. Define better the long-term prognosis for neurologic recovery in the child with neuroblastoma associated with OMA syndrome. V. Define the event-free and overall survival of patients with neuroblastoma associated opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia syndrome. OUTLINE: CHEMOTHERAPY: Patients with intermediate-risk or high-risk neuroblastoma receive chemotherapy (including cyclophosphamide) according to the standard of care for the stage of primary neuroblastoma, beginning on day 0. Patients with low-risk neuroblastoma (and not receiving other chemotherapy) receive cyclophosphamide IV over 1 hour on day 0. Treatment repeats every 4 weeks for 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. All patients receive oral prednisone twice daily for 3 months and then every other day for 7-15 months. IMMUNE GLOBULIN THERAPY: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. ARM I: Patients receive immune globulin IV on days -2 and -1, at weeks 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24, and then at months 8, 10, and 12 after therapy. Treatment continues in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients with no response after 6 months go off treatment. ARM II: Patients do not receive immune globulin. Patients with unresponsive opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia syndrome after 2 months or progression after 6 months may cross over to arm I. Patients are followed during therapy every month for 6 months, at 1 year, and then annually for up to 10 years.