Therapeutic application of radiolabeled monoclonal antibody UJ13A in children with disseminated neuroblastoma.

Dosimetric data from UJ13A scanning studies using 131I are presented for children with stage IV neuroblastoma and primary brain tumor. The data demonstrate a large variation among patients in dose delivery to vulnerable organs and tumors. Against this background, a phase I toxicity study is under way with escalating amounts of conjugate administered to patients who have stage IV neuroblastoma. Major toxicity has been confined to bone marrow aplasia and necessitates bone marrow harvest prior to therapy. Specific problems encountered include altered kinetics during therapy following tracer studies and adequate dose delivery in large tumor masses.