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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : April 22, 2022 12:10 PM IST
The majority of the children who have this cancer are younger than 5 years (90 per cent).
Neuroblastoma is the most common solid tumour seen in children that occurs outside of the brain. It makes up to 8 per cent of the total number of childhood cancers. Neuroblastoma develops from the cells left behind during a baby's development in the womb. There is no environmental factor and it can occur in any part of the body. The common site of origin is either one of the two adrenal glands in the abdomen or in the nerve tissue that runs alongside the vertebral column, in the neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis. Many of these children with neuroblastoma present with spread to other parts of the body such as the bone marrow, bone, lymph nodes, liver and skin. Nearly 2/3 of neuroblastoma originate in the abdomen. This cancer is known to mimic some of the general pediatric problems due to the site of the primary tumour, metastatic disease and its metabolic tumour by-products.
These are some of the most common symptoms that a child may exhibit
The overall prognosis of this childhood cancer depends on the age of the patient and also whether it has spread to other parts of the body and whether neuroblastoma cells show amplification of a particular gene called n-myc. Low-risk neuroblastoma (seen in infants) do well, and overall survival is above 95 per cent, whereas children with high-risk neuroblastoma do not do well.
Patients are treated with intensive chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy and differentiation therapy. In India, we do not have free access to immunotherapy which has been an important mode of therapy in Europe and the USA for the past 8 -10 years. Through extensive research going on about the development of this cancer as well as its treatment, no breakthrough has happened in the last decade.
We see roughly around 10-12 children with neuroblastoma every year in Mangalore. The majority of the children who have this cancer are younger than 5 years (90 per cent). Nearly 80 per cent of them present in the advanced stage meaning, cancer would have spread to other parts of the body. The majority of these children with high-risk neuroblastoma initially responded well to treatment but more than 2/3 of them relapsed within 2 years from completion of treatment. None of our patients received immunotherapy due to non-availability.
We need to have different strategies and more clinical trials to find a better cure for these children with high-risk neuroblastomas.
(This article is authored by Dr Harsha Prasada L, Consultant Pediatric Hematologist and Oncologist, KMC Hospital Mangalore)
