Neuroblastoma is a disease in which malignant cells form in nerve tissue of the adrenal gland, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, or spinal cord. Each year about 600 children in the U.S. will develop neuroblastoma, accounting for half of all malignancies in infants. It often begins in the nerve tissue of the adrenal glands. There are two adrenal glands, one on top of each kidney in the back of the upper abdomen. Each gland produces important hormones that help control heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, & the way the body reacts to stress. Neuroblastoma most often begins during early childhood, usually in children younger than 5 years. By the time it is diagnosed it has usually spread most often to the lymph nodes, bones, bone marrow, liver, & skin. Neuroblastoma's symptoms are frequently similar to other, more common diseases & health complaints, making an initial diagnosis complicated. Even a biopsy might reveal cells that can resemble other small round blue tumor cells, like lymphomas & rhabdomyosarcomas. Only a pathologist familiar with neuroblastoma can distinguish the difference, because it is rare. Neuroblastomas are highly diverse in their behavior. Some will go away without any treatment while others can be treated effectively with surgery alone. Nearly half of these tumors spread quickly to the bone & bone marrow & require one or more of the following treatments: chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, & bone marrow transplantation. Treatment depends on the patient's age at diagnosis, tumor location, tumor biology & the stage of the disease. Staging is a process of determining the extent of a disease at the time of diagnosis. Neuroblastoma has been divided into four stages to match the treatment required with the extent of disease. The method of treatment depends upon the stage of disease at the time of diagnosis.
* Stage 1: The tumor is small & found only in the structure where it began. No metastases, or spread, of disease. This tumor can be taken out by surgery. * Stage 2A: The tumor has grown larger, but still remains on only one side of the body (right or left). * Stage 2B: Same as 2A, but with lymph node involvement on the same side. * Stage 3: The tumor has spread from it's original location to a neighboring location on the opposite side of the body. * Stage 4: The tumor has spread from it's original location to a very distant area, such as bone marrow, bones, liver, or lymph nodes. * Stage 4S: Same as Stage 4, but found only in children younger than 1 year old who have small original tumors & no spread of cancer to the bones.
American Cancer Society

National Cancer Institute

Info & links on this page were updated & verified by Heather's Dad March 31, 2011.