OBJECTIVES:~Primary~Determine the safety and tolerability of the ethanol-lock strategy (ETL) in preventing central venous catheter infections in patients with high-risk neuroblastoma being treated on clinical trial MSKCC-03077.~Secondary~Determine whether this strategy increases the likelihood of remaining infection-free for 6 months.~Determine the cumulative incidence of a single positive centrally-drawn blood culture in these patients and compare to previously obtained historical controls.~Determine the median time-to-infection of the central line, where infection is defined as any positive centrally-drawn (from the treated line) blood culture.~Determine the cumulative incidence of central line removals in these patients and compare to historical controls.~Collate the types of organisms among these patients who develop a positive centrally-drawn blood culture and compare to historical controls.~OUTLINE: This is a prospective, nonrandomized, open-label, historical control study.~Patients receive monoclonal antibody 3F8 on clinical trial MSKCC-03077. In each course of monoclonal antibody 3F8 treatment, patients receive ethanol-lock treatment on days 0-3 (after each monoclonal antibody 3F8 infusion) for up to 6 months for central venous catheter management.~PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 50 patients will be accrued for this study.
RATIONALE: Ethanol-lock treatment may help prevent central venous catheter infections in patients with high-risk neuroblastoma.~PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects of ethanol-lock treatment in preventing central venous catheter infections in patients with high-risk neuroblastoma.