Overview

Neuroblastoma is a solid cancerous tumor that begins in the nerve cells of infants and young children. Neuroblastoma can start in nerve tissue of the neck, chest, abdomen, or pelvis, but it most often begins in the tissue of the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are located on top of both kidneys and produce hormones that help control body functions, such as heart rate and blood pressure.

Neuroblasts are immature nerve cells found in unborn babies. Normal neuroblasts mature into nerve cells or adrenal medulla cells (cells found in the center of the adrenal gland). Neuroblastoma forms when neuroblasts don’t mature properly.

Sometimes, babies are born with small masses of neuroblasts that eventually mature into nerve cells and do not become cancer. A neuroblast that does not mature can continue to grow, forming a mass called a tumor.

Neuroblastoma develops most often in infants and children younger than five years old. It can form before the baby is born and can sometimes be found during a prenatal (before birth) ultrasound examination. Most often, however, neuroblastoma is found after the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes (tiny, bean-shaped organs that help fight infection), liver, lungs, bones, and bone marrow (the spongy, red tissue in the inner part of large bones).

Statistics

Neuroblastoma accounts for 7% of all childhood cancers in the United States, with about 650 children diagnosed each year. It is the most common cancer in babies less than 1 year old.

The overall relative survival rate (the percentage of people who survive after the cancer is detected, excluding those who die from other diseases) depends on many factors, particularly the risk grouping of the tumor. The three-year relative survival rate for children with high-risk neuroblastoma is 40%. However, the survival rate for children with low and intermediate-risk neuroblastoma is greater than 90% (see Staging and Risk Grouping for information on risk groupings.)

Cancer survival statistics should be interpreted with caution. These estimates are based on data from thousands of cases of this type of cancer, but the actual risk for a particular individual may differ. It is not possible to tell a person how long he or she will live with neuroblastoma. Because the survival statistics are measured in multi-year intervals, they may not represent advances made in the treatment or diagnosis of this cancer.

Statistics adapted from the American Cancer Society's publication, Cancer Facts and Figures 2009, and The Children’s Oncology Group.

Find out more about basic cancer terms used in this section.