Loss in Chromosome 11q Identifies Tumors with Increased Risk for Metastatic Relapses in Localized and 4S Neuroblastoma

Purpose: To improve risk prediction in neuroblastoma and to specify the type of a possible relapse, alterations in the long arm of chromosome 11 were analyzed. Experimental Design: A representative cohort of 611 neuroblastomas was investigated for deletion events in distal chromosome 11q using interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization. Results: Alterations in 11q were found in 159 of 611 tumors in the whole cohort (26%) and were associated with stage 4 disease ( P 2.5 years ( P P MYCN amplification (MNA) (event-free survival and overall survival, P P = 0.03; overall survival, P = 0.02), and MYCN -nonamplified stage 1, 2, 3, and 4S tumors with and without del 1p (event-free survival and overall survival, P P = 0.008; hazard ratio, 1.573) and in the subgroup of stages 1, 2, 3, and 4S without MNA ( P P Conclusion: In addition to the current risk stratification, the status of 11q enables the identification of patients with an increased risk for relapses in general and metastatic relapses in particular.