Beta-Glucan and Monoclonal Antibody 3F8 in Treating Patients With Metastatic Neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma

About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Neuroblastoma focused on measuring recurrent neuroblastoma, regional neuroblastoma, stage 4S neuroblastoma, disseminated neuroblastoma
Eligibility Criteria
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
Diagnosis of neuroblastoma by 1 of the following methods:
- Histopathology
- Bone marrow involvement AND elevated urinary catecholamines
High-risk disease, defined by 1 of the following:
- Stage 4 disease with MYCN amplification (any age) or without MYCN amplification (> 18 months of age)
- MYCN-amplified stage 3 disease (unresectable and any age)
- MYCN-amplified stage 4S disease
- Metastatic disease
- Tumor progression or persistent disease (at metastatic or primary site) after intensive conventional chemotherapy
- Must have evaluable (microscopic marrow metastasis, elevated tumor markers, positive MIBG or PET scans) or measurable (CT scan or MRI) disease documented after completion of prior systemic therapy
PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
- Platelet count > 25,000/mm^3
- ANC > 500/mm^3
- Not pregnant or nursing
- Negative pregnancy test
- Fertile patients must use effective contraception
- No history of allergy to mouse proteins, beta-glucan, mushrooms, or yeast
- No active life-threatening infections
No severe major organ toxicity
Concurrent toxicity must be ≤ grade 2 except for the following, which may be grade 3:
- Myelosuppression
- Hearing loss
- Alopecia
- Anorexia
- Nausea
- Hyperbilirubinemia from TPN
- Anxiety
- Hypomagnesemia
- No prior HAMA titer > 1,000 U/mL by ELISA
PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
- No concurrent supplemental beta-glucan in food (e.g., bran cereals or mushrooms) or as complementary medicine
No other concurrent systemic anticancer medications (e.g., hormonal agents, chemotherapy, investigational agents, or immunotherapy)
- Concurrent isotretinoin allowed after the second course of study treatment is completed or if the patient develops human antimouse antibody (HAMA)
Sites / Locations
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Experimental
Beta-Glucan and Monoclonal Antibody 3F8
This is a dose-escalation study of beta-glucan. Patients receive oral beta-glucan once daily on days -4 to 12 and monoclonal antibody 3F8 IV over 30-90 minutes on days 1-5 and 8-12. Treatment repeats every 4 weeks for up to 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity and with a human antimouse antibody (HAMA) titer < 1,000 U/mL. Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of beta-glucan until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 3 or 2 of 6 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity. Patients undergo urine, bone marrow, and blood sample collection periodically for biological studies. Samples are analyzed for antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, complement-mediated cytotoxicity, and serum HAMA response via immunohistochemistry. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed periodica