What is Neuroblastoma?

Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children and the most common malignancy in infants. Neuroblastoma begins in immature nerve cells and it most often starts in nerve tissue of the adrenal glands, however, it may also arise in nerve tissue of the neck, spinal cord, chest, or abdomen. Neuroblastoma accounts for roughly 7% of all childhood cancers and 15% of childhood cancer mortality. It usually occurs in children under the age of five and nearly half of all cases occur in children under the age of two. In some cases, neuroblastoma starts forming before birth and is detected during a fetal ultrasound. Neuroblastoma can have a wide variety of clinical presentations. Most neuroblastoma tumors are aggressive in nature and grow quickly; by the time it is diagnosed, the cancer has usually spread. However, in infants under the age of one year neuroblastoma may sometimes disappear without any treatment.