Ifosfamide in the treatment of pediatric malignancies.

Neuroblastomas, nephroblastomas, malignant mesenchymal tumors, including rhabdomyosarcomas, Ewing's sarcomas, osteosarcomas, brain tumors, and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas respond to ifosfamide monotherapy. Ifosfamide has found an established place in the treatment of these pediatric malignancies. Ifosfamide has been shown to be an especially valuable agent in brain tumors in patients with a poor-prognosis medulloblastoma. The combination of ifosfamide with other cytotoxic drugs is more effective than ifosfamide medication alone. Ifosfamide has to be given with mesna to prevent bladder toxicity, but other toxic side effects, such as neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and gonadal damage, are more difficult to prevent. Ifosfamide has proven to be an important asset in the treatment of cancer in children.