Reduction In Mortality For Children With Severe Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis Shown In Clinical Trial

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Clinical Trials / Drug Trials;  Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Blood / Hematology
Article Date: 03 Mar 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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A new international study finds that introducing an increased intensity of chemotherapy in children with severe Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) can reduce the mortality rate for this disorder by as much as 20 percent when the patient demonstrates a rapid response to such treatment.

The study, published in the March 1 edition of Blood, the journal of the American Association of Hematology, is the second in a series of international randomized clinical trials for Langerhans cell histiocytosis coordinated by the Histiocyte Society. The LCH clinical trial series are the first-ever randomized clinical trials for the treatment of LCH.

"The incidence of this particular disorder is so rare, without the cooperation of researchers and participants across the globe, the trial could not have been conducted on a large enough scale to see such positive, and definitive outcomes," noted senior author Stephan Ladisch, MD, Bosworth Chair for Cancer Biology and Director of the Center for Cancer and Immunology Research at Children's National Medical Center. "The value of international collaborations such as this is incalculable to the research of so-called 'orphan diseases' that receive little government funding support, but still have a significant effect on the lives of children around the world."

The trial induced a rapid response to the application of chemotherapy - involving prednisone, vinblastine, and for some participants, the addition of etopisode. As a result, the research team observed a statistically significant improved prognosis for children with multi-system LCH. Study leaders observed this significant effect in both study groups of the second clinical trial.

The authors conclude, "There is a strong indication that increasing treatment intensity was associated with higher rapid respond and survival rates. This suggests that therapy intensification…may be essential for successful treatment of high-risk disease."

The results were based on the findings in 193 pre-identified LCH patients identified as "risk patients-those with LCH affecting risk organs including the liver, lungs, hematopoeitic system, and spleen, or patients with disease onset younger than 2 years of age. For these high risk groups, mortality rates had been as high as 60 to 70 percent (and are now well below 30 percent). The full text, and a complete list of the study's authors, can be found at http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org/.

The results of the first LCH clinical trial (LCHI) were published in 2001 by the Journal of Pediatrics. This new study builds on the findings of LCHI, which focused on the effectiveness of two of the most common treatments of LCH in children.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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About Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH)

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disorder that primarily affects children, involving clonal proliferation of abnormal cells deriving from bone marrow. Clinically, its manifestations range from isolated bone lesions to multisystemic disease. These cells accumulate in different organs and can result in a variety of symptoms. The cause of LCH is unknown. It is not a known infection or cancer. In severe cases affecting "risk organs" including the liver, lungs and the hematopoeitic system, the disease is fatal. Usually these cases are in very young children. It is estimated that 9 of every 1,000,000 children under the age of 15 have histiocytosis at various severity levels. Three-quarters of the cases occur before age 10, but the disease also occurs in adults. Because of its rare occurrence, LCH is often referred to as an "orphan" disease.

About the Histiocyte Society

The Histiocyte Society is a nonprofit organization, comprised of an international group of more than 200 physicians and scientists, committed to improving the lives of patients with histiocytosis by conducting clinical and laboratory research into the causes and treatment of this disease.

About Stephan Ladisch, MD

Dr. Ladisch holds the Bosworth Chair in Cancer Biology and is Director of the Center for Cancer and Immunology Research at Children's National Medical Center. He is also Professor and Vice Chairman of Pediatrics, and Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the George Washington University Medical School. Dr. Ladisch has an international reputation in pediatric oncology and is the author of over 140 peer-reviewed articles in the areas of cancer biology and pediatric oncology.

Children's National Medical Center, located in Washington, DC, is a proven leader in the development of innovative new treatments for childhood illness and injury. Consistently ranked among the top pediatric hospitals in America, Children's has been serving the nation's children for more than 135 years. Children's National is proudly ranked among the best pediatric hospitals in America by US News & World Report and the Leapfrog Group. Children's Research Institute, the academic arm of Children's National Medical Center, encompasses the translational, clinical and community research efforts of the institution. Visit our web site at http://www.childrensnational.org/

Source: Jennifer Leischer
Children's National Medical Center