Neuroblastoma

For patients & families
Neuroblastoma is the most common solid tumor outside the brain in children, usually appearing in babies and toddlers. Many cases are discovered before birth on ultrasound or found as a belly mass in young children. When the disease has spread, children may have bone pain or nerve problems from pressure on the spinal cord. Doctors use several tests to understand each child's tumor. They check urine or blood for special chemicals the tumor makes, and use scans like CT, MRI, and a nuclear medicine test called MIBG to see where the tumor is and whether it has spread. About one in ten neuroblastomas don't show up on the MIBG scan. A small tissue sample tells doctors important information about the tumor's biology — especially something called NMIC status — which helps determine how aggressive treatment needs to be. Treatment depends on the child's age and the tumor's characteristics. Some babies with small, localized tumors can simply be watched carefully, as many of these tumors shrink on their own. Others need chemotherapy, surgery, or both. Children with high-risk disease receive intensive treatment including strong chemotherapy, surgery to remove as much tumor as safely possible, radiation, and newer immune therapies.