Treatment of Resistant Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis With Etanercept (ENBREL, IMMUNEX, SEATTLE)

After subjects have completed the pretreatment evaluations, they will receive an injection of Enbrel - the study drug -(given under the skin) twice weekly. If the subjects disease stabilizes or regresses, they may continue to receive treatment for up to 1 year.

Subjects with disease involvement of risk organs (this means patients have disease in their liver, lung, spleen, or bone marrow): will be admitted to the hospital for observation during the first week of administration of Enbrel. If after the first two doses there appears to be no problems, subjects may be followed as an outpatient with twice weekly evaluation visits (similar to those performed before treatment began) until abnormal blood tests have become normal. Then the frequency of clinic visits will decrease and be similar to those described below for subjects without disease involvement of risk organs.

Subjects without disease involvement of risk organs will be treated as an outpatient. While receiving the treatment, subjects may not receive any other chemotherapy agents. Doctors will be monitoring subjects closely for side effects. Most side effects usually disappear after the treatment is stopped. In the meantime, however, the doctor may prescribe medication to keep these side effects under control.