What is Neuroblastoma cancer?

Different kinds of diseases may impede the regular functioning of the bodies of different people. Understanding as much as possible about them is essential, especially if we suffer from them. This will help us increase awareness of our health condition, helping us understand how we must approach our health. Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer. It is a cancer that develops from immature nerve cells in the body of the person suffering from it. Neuroblastoma has been most regularly observed in and around the adrenal glands. Adrenal glands have similar origins to nerve cells and sit on top of the kidneys. Let’s proceed further with understanding Neuroblastoma symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and more additional information.

Neuroblastoma symptoms 

Neuroblastoma Symptoms

A person may like to enhance their understanding of Neuroblastoma symptoms. Every disease has some symptoms a person may suffer from. It is crucial to understand these symptoms even if one is not suffering from the disease as it will allow the person to recognize that health condition early on and as soon as the symptoms arise. This will enable them to avail suitable treatment as quickly as possible, preventing the disease from progressing further. Neuroblastoma symptoms range from mild to severe. They vary depending on the tumour’s location and the stage of the disease. Many times, the cancer may have spread to other parts of the patient’s body by the time symptoms appear. 

Notable Neuroblastoma symptoms are:

  • Bump or lump in the neck of the person, chest, pelvis or abdomen (belly), or several lumps just under their skin that appear blue or purple in colour (in infants).
  • Eyes that are bulging or prominent dark circles under the eyes of the person which may often look like a black eye in children 
  • Diarrhea, constipation, upset stomach or appetite loss 
  • Fatigue, cough, fever
  • Anemia, which may result in unusually Pale skin, caused due to reduced red blood cells
  • The stomach region is painful and bloated 
  • Difficulty breathing, which may usually be observed in young babies
  • Weakness, problems with moving around, paralysis in the lower part of the body

Other symptoms of Neuroblastoma cancer, which may be observed as the disease progresses, are:

  • Very high blood pressure, increased rate of heartbeat
  • The person may suffer from Horner’s syndrome, which can cause droopy eyelids, small pupils and sweating on only one side of the face 
  • Pain in bones, back, and legs
  • Issues relating to balance, coordination and movement
  • Feeling short of breath 
  • Uncontrollable movements of eyes that move around rapidly

A person may consult their doctor if they have more queries regarding Neuroblastoma symptoms. These Neuroblastoma symptoms are general. These Neuroblastoma symptoms discussed may show up differently, at least to some extent, in all patients. If the symptoms of the same become more severe, the person may contact their doctor or a suitable medical authority. 

Neuroblastoma cancer and its stages 

Neuroblastoma cancer has been classified in children based on how much the cancerous tumour has advanced and its growth rate. The Neuroblastoma cancer classification may also be based on whether the cancerous tumour has spread or metastasized to other regions in the body of the person suffering from it. The risk level of Neuroblastoma cancer is concluded using this information. 

After the risk level of the Neuroblastoma cancer is concluded, the doctor or medical authority may come up with suitable treatments based on the person’s health. After surgery of the person, the stage of Neuroblastoma cancer is determined by how much cancer is found in the body.

A doctor or medical professional may use the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group Staging System (INRGSS). The neuroblastoma stage is determined by how much tumour spread is seen on initial imaging studies (such as CT scan or MRI, as discussed below), called “image-defined risk factors.” There are different INRG stages of Neuroblastoma cancer. 

The INRG stages of Neuroblastoma cancer are:

  • Stage L1: Stage L1 has the lowest risk when it comes to Neuroblastoma cancer. L1 tumours are confined to only one region of the body and will not spread to other areas. Also, the tumour does not usually involve any vital structures of the person’s body, which means that no image-defined risk factors are present.
  • Stage L2: In stage L2, the tumour in the body is confined to one region, but it is possible that the cancer cells in the person’s body could spread to other lymph nodes in the region where it is present. In stage L2, vital structures of the body may be impacted; This may involve the tumour wrapping around large blood vessels, which means that at least one image-defined risk factor is present with this stage of Neuroblastoma cancer. 
  • Stage M: In this stage of Neuroblastoma cancer, the cancer cells may be spread to more than one region of the person’s body. The stage M of Neuroblastoma cancer is referred to as “distant metastatic disease.” This stage carries the highest risk for patients suffering from the disease.
  • Stage MS: Stage MS belongs to a “special” category of Neuroblastoma cancer. This stage impacts children younger than 18 months, usually in very early stages of life. In this stage of Neuroblastoma cancer, the cancer cells may have spread or metastasized to either the skin, liver or bone marrow only. Children with stage MS neuroblastoma generally have a very favourable prognosis when it comes to the disease. Stage MS neuroblastoma is usually considered a low-risk disease and may not be very serious. People who have it may not suffer from it too much as a result. 

A person may therefore experience different symptoms of Neuroblastoma depending on the severity of the disease. You may consult your doctor about the symptoms of Neuroblastoma depending on the stage of the Neuroblastoma cancer you are experiencing.

Neuroblastoma treatment

A patient may be given suitable Neuroblastoma treatment depending on their health condition, how severe it is based on their symptoms of Neuroblastoma, and personal characteristics such as their height, weight, age, etc. The suitable Neuroblastoma treatment and approach to the stage of Neuroblastoma cancer that the person is suffering from will be decided depending on the person’s health condition. Depending on differing factors, the doctor or medical team of the person may recommend surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or other cancer treatments. 

One may be afforded Neuroblastoma treatment in the following ways:

  • Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy medication may be given to a patient in order to halt the multiplying of cancer cells in their body. Chemotherapy medications are generally injected into the vein of a person. Chemotherapy generally involves treatments that may span over many weeks or months. The type of chemotherapy that may be employed for treating the patient and how long the treatment lasts usually depends on which risk category of Neuroblastoma the child or person has. 
  • Surgery: Surgery may be used to treat patients that have Neuroblastoma cancer. An incision may remove a tumour from a person’s body. While this may help, it may usually be almost impossible to remove the whole tumour by doing so. Some children with the disease may receive chemotherapy before or after surgery in order to shrink a tumour or destroy remaining cancer cells that may be present in their body and affecting them. 
  • Radiation: This Neuroblastoma treatment may kill cancer cells or stop their multiplication. Cancer cells in the patient’s body are targeted by radiation therapy. Radiation oncologists may often use radiation to prevent cancer from returning after the treatment. Radiation may most commonly be used in high-risk neuroblastoma patients. Patients considered low or intermediate-risk may not require any form of radiation therapy to be treated.
  • Immunotherapy: Cancer cells may remain in the person’s body even after undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy as Neuroblastoma treatment. Doctors or medical professionals may employ immunotherapy processes in order to train the body to attack abnormal cells that are harming it. The doctor or medical authority may inject the child with antibodies, cells that fight infection, through a vein. The currently used immunotherapy medications are used to target a kind of protein which is called GD2. This protein sits on the outside of the neuroblastoma cell. The antibodies find GD2 proteins on neuroblastoma cells and attach to them when they send a signal to the immune system of the body of the person to attack and destroy them.
  • Iodine 131-MIBG therapy: The Iodine 131-MIBG therapy treatment uses radiation to target tumour cells in the patient’s body. The doctor or medical authority injects radioactive iodine into the patient’s bloodstream through a vein. The radioactive iodine is then used to attack the cancerous cells that form the cancerous tumour in their body. This treatment has been used for children whose Neuroblastoma has come back or won’t go away. This state is known as a relapsed or refractory disease. This form of treatment is currently being studied for being given to patients as part of frontline therapy in Neuroblastoma that may be considered high-risk. 
  • Medications: The doctor or medical authority overlooking your treatment may recommend some medication that will be used to destroy cancer cells and stop them from multiplying or restrict blood flow to the tumour. Some of these drugs are used after the patient’s treatment has concluded. This may be done to keep the cancer from coming back. This could be in the form of retinoid therapy with a drug called 13-cis-retinoic acid. 

Other drugs may be given to patients in case target tumours haven’t gone away after the usual treatments have concluded. Newer drugs are also currently being studied. The clinical trials of these drugs and medicines are promising. DFMO or difluoromethylornithine is such a drug. DFMO, or difluoromethylornithine, has been the first drug tried as a “maintenance therapy” course of medical treatment that may be used for high-risk or relapsed Neuroblastoma. This medication has shown promising results till now but is still in the stage of being studied in clinical trials.

  • Stem cell transplant:  When a patient is given a stem cell transplant, the doctor or medical authority may remove a child’s stem cells from the bloodstream that come from the bone marrow and store them in a freezer when the early cycles of chemotherapy are done. Afterward, when the patient is given high doses of chemotherapy, they will inject the stem cells back into the bloodstream of the child, which will travel to the bone marrow to then replace the stem cells destroyed during their treatment. The patient’s body then uses the new cells to rebuild the immune system.

If a patient or their guardian wants to know more about Neuroblastoma treatment methods and procedures, they may consult their doctor or a suitable medical professional. They may seek the necessary information and clarification from them. This will be able to help them understand the treatment they are receiving much better, allowing them to have clarity on why certain procedures or medication may be needed. One may also inquire about side effects of certain meications that they may be given if they are curious about the same.

Neuroblastoma causes 

Understanding Neuroblastoma causes may be helpful for a patient or guardian trying to understand the disease that the patient is suffering from. Every health condition has some causes, as does Neuroblastoma cancer with various Neuroblastoma causes. Neuroblastoma cancer and Symptoms of Neuroblastoma occur when immature nerve tissues (neuroblasts) grow out of control in a person’s body. The cells become abnormal and continue to grow and divide. This harmful cluster of cells forms a cancerous tumour. A genetic mutation, essentially a change in the neuroblast’s genes, causes the person’s cells to grow and divide uncontrollably rapidly. Healthcare providers are still determining what causes the genetic mutation.

Among Neuroblastoma causes, there is also a family history of the person in some cases. Children with some family history of Neuroblastoma cancer may be more prone to develop it than other children their age. It must be noted that Neuroblastoma is often not inherited or passed down in families in any way. Children born who are born with other congenital anomalies or defects when they are born may have a higher risk of developing and suffering from Neuroblastoma. To learn more about Neuroblastoma causes, a person may consult their doctor or a suitable medical professional. 

Neuroblastoma prognosis 

The prognosis of different diseases may depend on the person’s health condition when the disease was detected. The Neuroblastoma prognosis may also depend greatly on what stage it was at when it had been detected in the patient’s body suffering from it. 

The Neuroblastoma prognosis for children suffering from Neuroblastoma may differ depending on their person’s health condition, age, etc. The outlook of cancer is generally measured by doctors and medical authorities that are cancer specialists by a survival rate that spans five years. Children that are younger and have been diagnosed with low- or intermediate-risk Neuroblastoma usually have a more favorable prognosis. The survival rate of children with Neuroblastoma cancer is 90% to 95%. Neuroblastoma prognosis is not as favorable for older children, especially those diagnosed with high-risk Neuroblastoma cancer. Patients with the disease may live cancer-free around 60% of the time after they have been treated for it. Doctors, medical authorities and researchers are still searching for better treatments for Neuroblastoma cancer, which may be found soon. 

The Neuroblastoma prognosis for a patient that has been diagnosed with it is dependent on the following factors :

  • How old the child or person was when they were diagnosed with it 
  • The biological makeup of the tumour in the body of the person
  • Whether the tumour has spread to other parts of the body of the person or lymph nodes 

To understand more bout the Neuroblastoma prognosis, one may consult their doctor or a suitable medical professional. The treatment of Neuroblastoma may be different for every patient, so one may be able to clarify why the treatment is being done in a particular way for a particular patient. 

Neuroblastoma in adults

Neuroblastoma in adults may show up differently than Neuroblastoma in children or the elderly. Neuroblastoma cancer is an embryonal malignancy that affects the autonomic nervous system. It is the most common extracranial tumour that may affect persons who are in early childhood. While Neuroblastoma rarely affects adults, only being found in about 1 in 10 million adults/year, adults suffering from Neuroblastoma usually have a significantly worse prognosis than children with Neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma in adults may usually have a much worse outcome than in children with Neuroblastoma cancer. Very few adults have been reported to be diagnosed with it. For adult patients who have Neuroblastoma cancer, there are still very few guidelines for their treatments. Generally, a treatment option for Neuroblastoma in adults is undergoing complete surgery when the disease is at a primitive stage. For patients that are suffering from Neuroblastoma that is at advanced stages, multimodal oncological treatment may be performed on them. After this, the person may go through surgery if treatment is still possible by doing so. It is unclear why adult patients who are suffering from Neuroblastoma cancer have such a poor prognosis. Biological and genetic studies relating to Neuroblastoma cancer and Neuroblastoma in adults are being carried out. They may be able to answer this and other aspects of the disease we may not fully understand yet. 

Neuroblastoma survival rate 

Neuroblastoma is a serious disease that can have huge impacts on people suffering from it. A person that may want to know more about Neuroblastoma or a patient of the disease may want to know more about the Neuroblastoma survival rate. The Neuroblastoma survival rate will indicate how many people have suffered from the illness and been either cured or not passed away as a result. Neuroblastoma survival rate will be especially important for people suffering from the disease and hoping to be cured of it. 

Generally, younger children have a better chance of surviving the disease. 

 Younger children with low- or intermediate-risk Neuroblastoma cancer usually have quite a positive prognosis. They may usually survive and be cured of the cancer, with a survival rate ranging from 90% to 95%. Older children and persons, especially those suffering from high-risk Neuroblastoma, live cancer-free around 60% of the time. For adults, the prognosis may not usually be so favorable, and they are not able to survive the disease many times. Doctors, medical authorities, and researchers are still researching to find better treatments for the patients that do not have as positive of a prognosis, and there may be several treatments for this group coming soon. 

What age people does Neuroblastoma cancer primarily affect?

In relation to who is affected by the disease, patients of Neuroblastoma cancer are usually very young children below the age of 10. These children may usually be between 0-5 years of age. One may note, however, that the younger a person diagnosed with Neuroblastoma is, the more likely it becomes that they may be successfully treated for it and even cured of the disease. Older children, teenagers, and adults generally do not suffer from Neuroblastoma. In case someone belonging to these categories does receive a diagnosis of Neuroblastoma, it is considered to be unusual. 

How common is Neuroblastoma?

Neuroblastoma cancer is a serious disease that can sometimes even be fatal. It may therefore be good to know that Neuroblastoma cancer is rare. Neuroblastoma cancer is one of the most common cancers observed in babies. Neuroblastoma cancer usually develops before a child reaches the age of 5. It may even start to affect infants while they are still in the womb. Neuroblastoma is a disease that usually only impacts young children and is generally not observed in those over the age of 10. If the disease is observed in children over the age of 10 or adults, this will be considered unusual. 

Conclusion 

Being informed about health conditions and diseases like Neuroblastoma cancer can help patients or their guardians to be able to understand the health-related problems the patient is facing better. Being well informed about this will also lead to a smoother treatment and the doctor or medical authority being able to give treatments to a patient with much less confusion. Neuroblastoma cancer may be a serious disease in many instances, but handling it appropriately may lead to best results for patients when they undergo treatments for the same, and sometimes even a normal, cancer-free life.

Treatment for a problem like Neuroblastoma can be quite expensive. Personal funds might not be enough to cover these costs. In such cases, fundraising on a platform like Impact Guru can help you cover your treatment costs, without any commitment.