DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed neuroblastoma or ganglioneuroblastoma meeting 1 of the following staging criteria:

  • Newly diagnosed disease, at least 1 year of age, and meets criteria for 1 of the following:

    • International Neuroblastoma Staging System (INSS) stage 2a/2b with MYCN amplification (greater than 10) AND unfavorable pathology
    • INSS stage 3 with MYCN amplification OR unfavorable pathology

  • Newly diagnosed INSS stage 4 disease meeting criteria for 1 of the following:

    • Over 18 months of age

    • Age 12 to 18 months with any unfavorable biologic feature (MYCN amplification, unfavorable pathology, and/or DNA index=1) or any biologic feature that is indeterminant, unsatisfactory, or unknown

      • No INSS stage 4 disease and age 12 to 18 months with all 3 favorable biologic features (i.e., nonamplified MYCN, favorable pathology, and DNA index greater than 1)
  • Newly diagnosed INSS stage 3, 4, or 4S disease AND under 1 year of age with MYCN amplification

  • At least 1 year of age and initially diagnosed with INSS stage 1, 2, or 4S disease that progressed to stage 4 without interval chemotherapy

    • Must have been enrolled on COG-ANBL00B1 at initial diagnosis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 30 and under at initial diagnosis

Performance status

• Not specified

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm^3*
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3* (transfusion independent)
• Hemoglobin at least 10.0 g/dL* (red blood cell transfusions allowed) NOTE: *Granulocytopenia, anemia, and/or thrombocytopenia allowed for patients with tumor metastatic to the bone marrow

Hepatic

• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• ALT less than 300 IU/L

Renal

• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• Creatinine clearance or radioisotope glomerular filtration rate at least 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular

• ECG normal
• Shortening fraction at least 27% by echocardiogram OR
• Ejection fraction at least 50% by MUGA

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• HIV negative

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Not specified

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• No more than 1 prior chemotherapy course on the low- or intermediate-risk neuroblastoma studies (COG-P9641, COG-A3961) prior to determination of MYCN amplification and Shimada histology

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• Prior localized emergency radiotherapy to sites of life-threatening or function-threatening disease allowed

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• No other prior systemic therapy