Improved outcome at end of treatment in the collaborative Wilms tumour Africa project.
Pediatr Blood Cancer 2018;
65:e26945. [PMID:
29350457 DOI:
10.1002/pbc.26945]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Revised: 11/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The Collaborative Wilms Tumour (WT) Africa Project has implemented an adapted WT treatment guideline in sub-Saharan Africa as a multi-centre prospective clinical trial. A retrospective, baseline evaluation of end-of-treatment outcome was performed for a 2-year period prior to the introduction of this guideline. The collaborative project aims to reduce both treatment abandonment and death during treatment to less than 10% for improving survival.
PROCEDURE
All participating centres obtained local Institutional Research Board (IRB) approval and implemented the adapted WT treatment guideline. End-of-treatment outcome was documented for 2 years. It was divided into alive without evidence of disease, treatment abandonment, death during treatment and persistent disease. The outcome of children enroled in the first 2 years of the prospective clinical trial has been compared to the outcome before the start of the project.
RESULTS
One hundred twenty-two patients were included in the baseline evaluation (2011-2012) and 133 in the first 2 years of the collaborative clinical trial (2014-2015). The percentage of patients alive without evidence of disease at the end of treatment increased from 52% (63/122) to 68% (90/133; P = 0.01). Treatment abandonment decreased from 23% (28/122) to 13% (17/133; P = 0.03). Death during treatment decreased from 21% (26/122) to 13% (17/133; P = 0.07).
CONCLUSION
This collaboration, using relatively simple and low-cost interventions, led to a significant decrease in treatment abandonment and increase in survival without evidence of disease at the end of treatment.
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