Neuroblastoma most commonly affects children age 5 or younger, though it may rarely occur in older children. Some forms of neuroblastoma go away on their own, while others may require multiple treatments. Your child's neuroblastoma treatment options will depend on several factors.

Can neuroblastoma be benign?

Infants usually develop a form of neuroblastoma that is less aggressive and can mature into a benign tumor. Children over 12 – 18 months usually develop a more aggressive form of neuroblastoma that often invades vital structures and may spread throughout the body.

Can neuroblastoma go into remission?

Approximately 50 percent of children with high-risk neuroblastoma will experience initial remission followed by cancer relapse. Another 15 percent of children with high-risk neuroblastoma won't respond to initial treatment.

Can neuroblastoma spontaneously regress?

Indeed, neuroblastoma is unique among human cancers in terms of its propensity to undergo spontaneous regression. The strongest evidence for this comes from the mass screening studies conducted in Japan, North America and Europe and it is most evident in infants with stage 4S disease.

How long does it take to treat neuroblastoma?

Treatment includes chemotherapy, surgical resection, high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and isotretinoin. The current treatment lasts approximately 18 months. High-risk neuroblastoma treatment overview.

Alice’s neuroblastoma and the research that could help

How long can a child live with neuroblastoma?

For children with low-risk neuroblastoma, the 5-year survival rate is higher than 95%. For children with intermediate-risk neuroblastoma, the 5-year survival rate is between 90% and 95%. For children with high-risk neuroblastoma, the-5-year survival rate is around 50%.

Can you be cured of neuroblastoma?

Children with low-risk or intermediate-risk neuroblastoma have a good chance of being cured. However, more than half of all children with neuroblastoma have the high-risk type, which can be difficult to cure.

What are the chances of neuroblastoma coming back?

It is estimated that as many as 50-60% of children with high-risk neuroblastoma will eventually suffer a relapse. In children with intermediate- or low-risk neuroblastoma, relapses occur in only 5-15% of cases.

Can you survive relapsed neuroblastoma?

The 5-year survival rate for high-risk Neuroblastoma is 50%. 60% of patients with high-risk Neuroblastoma will relapse. Once in relapse, the survival rate drops to less than 5%. There are no known cures for relapsed Neuroblastoma.

How do you know if your child has neuroblastoma?

Symptoms include: Bump or lump in the neck, chest, pelvis or abdomen (belly), or several lumps just under the skin that may appear blue or purple (in infants). Bulging eyes or dark circles under eyes (it may look like the child has a black eye). Diarrhea, constipation, upset stomach or loss of appetite.

What does a neuroblastoma lump look like?

Neuroblastoma that spreads to the skin can give it a blue black colour, as if it were bruised. Sometimes, there are small, raised, discoloured lumps that look like blueberries on the skin.

Is neuroblastoma fast growing?

Some neuroblastomas grow slowly (and some might even shrink or go away on their own), while others can grow quickly and spread to other parts of the body. Neuroblastoma happens most often in babies and young children. It is rare in children who are more than 10 years old.

What organs are affected by neuroblastoma?

Neuroblastoma most commonly arises in and around the adrenal glands, which have similar origins to nerve cells and sit atop the kidneys. However, neuroblastoma can also develop in other areas of the abdomen and in the chest, neck and near the spine, where groups of nerve cells exist.

What percentage of neuroblastoma is high-risk?

Based on categories of risk, these are the five-year survival rates for neuroblastoma: For low-risk patients: about 95 percent. For moderate-risk patients: between 80 and 90 percent. For high-risk patients: about 50 percent.

How is neuroblastoma detected?

1. Physical exam. Your child's doctor conducts a physical exam to check out any signs and symptoms. ...
2. Urine and blood tests. ...
3. Imaging tests. ...
4. Removing a sample of tissue for testing. ...
5. Removing a sample of bone marrow for testing.

What is a Stage 4 neuroblastoma?

Stage 4: The cancer has spread to distant parts of the body such as distant lymph nodes, bones, liver, skin, bone marrow, or other organs (but the child does not meet the criteria for stage 4S). Stage 4S (also called “special” neuroblastoma): The child is younger than 1 year old. The cancer is on one side of the body.

Is Stage 4 neuroblastoma treatable?

There is no standard treatment for newly diagnosed stage 4S neuroblastoma but treatment options include the following: Observation and supportive care for children who have favorable tumor biology and do not have signs or symptoms.

How many cases of neuroblastoma per year?

There are about 700 to 800 new cases of neuroblastoma each year in the United States. This number has remained about the same for many years. The average age of children when they are diagnosed is about 1 to 2 years. Rarely, neuroblastoma is detected by ultrasound even before birth.

Can a child recover from stage 4 neuroblastoma?

The children in this group have a five-year survival rate between 90% and 95%. High-risk group children are those with an advanced stage of neuroblastoma (stage 3 or 4), extra copies of the MYCN gene, unfavorable histology, and other findings in the DNA. These children have a five-year survival rate of 40 to 50%.

How aggressive is neuroblastoma?

The clinical behavior of neuroblastoma is highly variable, with some tumors being easily treatable, but the majority being very aggressive.

Where does neuroblastoma start?

Neuroblastomas are cancers that start in early nerve cells (called neuroblasts) of the sympathetic nervous system, so they can be found anywhere along this system. Most neuroblastomas begin in the abdomen, either in an adrenal gland or in sympathetic nerve ganglia.

Can neuroblastoma be seen on ultrasound?

Some neuroblastomas can be found early, before they start to cause any signs or symptoms. For example, a small number of neuroblastomas are found before birth during an ultrasound, a test that uses sound waves to create an image of the internal organs of a fetus.

Does neuroblastoma run in families?

Neuroblastoma most often occurs in children who have no family history of the disease. This is called sporadic neuroblastoma. However, in 1–2% of cases, an increased chance of developing neuroblastoma can be inherited from a parent. This is called hereditary neuroblastoma.

Why is neuroblastoma called the silent tumor?

Neuroblastoma has often been called a silent tumor because approximately 60% of children with this tumor already have metastases before any signs of the disease are noticed or diagnosed.

How many rounds of chemo does it take for neuroblastoma?

Children are typically given 4 to 8 cycles (about 12 to 24 weeks) of chemotherapy before or after surgery. The chemo drugs used usually include carboplatin, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and etoposide. If chemo is used first, surgery may then be done to remove any remaining tumor.