ABOUT PEDIATRIC NEUROBLASTOMA
Pediatric Neuroblastoma is responsible for 7 to 10% of all pediatric cancers. Join us today in finding a cure.
Neuroblastoma is a rare from of cancer most often found in young children. It is the most common cancer for children under the age of 1.
"Neuroblastoma develops from nerve cells in the fetus called neuroblasts. Usually, as a fetus matures and after birth, the neuroblasts develop normally. Sometimes they become cancerous, causing neuroblastoma" (St. Jude's Research Hospital, 2017).
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Pediatric neuroblastoma is often diagnosed before the age of 5. It occurs slightly more often in boys than in girls, but it's prevalence is even world-wide. It is the cause for 50% of pediatric cancers for children under the age of one, making it the most common infantile cancer.
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Symptoms include:
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Hard, painless lump in neck,
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Increased irritability
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Decreased appetite
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Pain in legs
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Children are often treated by surgery, chemotherapy, or a combination of radiation and chemotherapy depending on their risk level. If the cancer has not spread, many will have surgery to have the tumor removed. If the cancer has spread to other areas, children will have chemotherapy or a combination of treatments.
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For those with low-risk neuroblastoma, the survival rate is 90%. For mid-risk, the survival rate is 70-80%. For high risk neuroblastoma, the survival rate is 50%.
To learn more about pediatric neuroblastoma, please see the links below.