Neuroblastoma and Childhood Cancer

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Cancer is the # 1 cause of death by disease in children. (CureSearch)

In the United States in 2007, approximately 10,400 children under age 15 were diagnosed with cancer and about 1,545 children will die from the disease. (National Cancer Institute, U.S. National Institutes of Health)

Neuroblastoma is by far the most common cancer in infants and the fourth most common type of cancer in children. There are approximately 650 new cases of Neuroblastoma each year in the United States. This number has held steady for many years. In as many as 6 or 7 of 10 cases, the disease is not diagnosed until it has already spread (metastasized). (American Cancer Society)

The cause of Neuroblastoma is unknown. (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center)

Neuroblastoma is one of the childhood cancers most resistant to treatment. (The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)

Approximately 50% of children with Neuroblastoma will have high-risk disease, which often reoccurs, or relapses, or becomes resistant to standard therapies and gets worse. (NANT (New Approaches to Neuroblastoma Therapy))

Neuroblastomas are highly diverse in their behavior. (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center)

The prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options depend on the following:

• Age of the child when diagnosed
• Stage of the cancer
• Location of the tumor in the body
• Tumor histology (the shape, function, and structure of the tumor cells)

By the time Neuroblastoma is diagnosed, the disease has usually spread to other parts of the body, most often to the lymph nodes, bones, bone marrow, liver and skin. (National Cancer Institute)

Staging is the most important factor in estimating the prognosis and choosing the most appropriate treatment. (American Cancer Society)

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