Neuroblastoma is a cancer that forms in your nerve tissue. It usually begins in the adrenal glands, which sit atop your kidneys. It may also begin in your neck, chest or spinal cord. The cancer often begins in early childhood. Sometimes it begins before a child is born. By the time doctors find the cancer, it has usually spread to other parts of the body. The most common symptoms are

  • A lump in the abdomen, neck or chest
  • Bulging eyes
  • Dark circles around the eyes
  • Bone pain
  • Swollen stomach and trouble breathing in babies
  • Painless, bluish lumps under the skin in babies
  • Inability to move a body part

Treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, biologic therapy, or a combination. Biologic therapy boosts your body's own ability to fight cancer. Sometimes before giving treatment, doctors wait to see whether symptoms get worse. This is called watchful waiting.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Symptoms of Neuroblastoma

The following features are indicative of Neuroblastoma:
  • lump in the abdomen, neck or chest
  • bulging eyes
  • dark circles around the eyes
  • bone pain
  • swollen stomach
  • trouble breathing in babies
  • painless, bluish lumps under the skin in babies
  • inability to move a body part
It is possible that Neuroblastoma shows no physical symptoms and still is present in a patient.

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Common Causes of Neuroblastoma

The following are the most common causes of Neuroblastoma:
  • genetic mutation

Risk Factors for Neuroblastoma

The following factors may increase the likelihood of Neuroblastoma:
  • family history of neuroblastoma

Prevention of Neuroblastoma

No, it is not possible to prevent Neuroblastoma.
  • genetic factors

Occurrence of Neuroblastoma

Number of Cases

The following are the number of Neuroblastoma cases seen each year worldwide:
  • Very common > 10 Million cases

Common Age Group

Neuroblastoma most commonly occurs in the following age group:
  • Aged between 0-5 years

Common Gender

Neuroblastoma can occur in any gender.

Lab Tests and Procedures for Diagnosis of Neuroblastoma

The following lab tests and procedures are used to detect Neuroblastoma:
  • Physical exam
  • To check out any signs and symptoms
  • Urine and blood tests: To check for high levels of certain chemicals that result from the neuroblastoma cells
  • Imaging tests: To see the images of tumor cells

Doctor for Diagnosis of Neuroblastoma

Patients should visit the following specialists if they have symptoms of Neuroblastoma:
  • Oncologist
  • Endocrinologist
  • Hematologist
  • Nephrologist
  • Neurologist
  • Pediatrician
  • Radiation Oncologist

Complications of Neuroblastoma if untreated

Yes, Neuroblastoma causes complications if it is not treated. Below is the list of complications and problems that may arise if Neuroblastoma is left untreated:
  • spread of the cancer
  • spinal cord compression
  • paraneoplastic syndromes

Procedures for Treatment of Neuroblastoma

The following procedures are used to treat Neuroblastoma:
  • Surgery: Removes the tumor completely
  • Chemotherapy: Destroy the cancer cells
  • Radiation therapy: Destroy the cancer cells and prevent cancer from recurring

Self-care for Neuroblastoma

The following self-care actions or lifestyle changes may help in the treatment or management of Neuroblastoma:
  • Maintain healthy weight: Reduces the chances of disease occurrence
  • Quit smoking: Decreases the chances of tumor formation

Related Topics

Last updated date

This page was last updated on 2/04/2019.
This page provides information for Neuroblastoma.

Related Topics

Cancer in Children

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