ON THIS PAGE:  You will find information about the number of children who are diagnosed with neuroblastoma each year. You will also read general information on surviving the disease. Remember, survival rates depend on several factors. Use the menu to see other pages.

Each year, about 700 to 800 children ages 0 to 14 are diagnosed with neuroblastoma in North America. Neuroblastoma accounts for 6% of all childhood cancers in the United States.

Almost 90% of neuroblastoma is found in children younger than 5. The average age of diagnosis is between 1 and 2 years old. Neuroblastoma is the most common cancer diagnosed in children younger than 1. It is rare in people older than 10.

The 5-year survival rate tells you what percent of children live at least 5 years after the cancer is found. Percent means how many out of 100. The 5-year survival rate for neuroblastoma in children under age 15 is 82%. However, a child’s survival rate depends on many factors, particularly the risk grouping of the tumor.

For children with low-risk neuroblastoma, the 5-year survival rate is higher than 95%. For children with intermediate-risk neuroblastoma, the 5-year survival rate is between 90% and 95%. For children with high-risk neuroblastoma, the 5-year survival rate is around 50%. See Stages and Groups for information on risk groupings.

It is important to remember that statistics on the survival rates for children with neuroblastoma are an estimate. The estimate comes from annual data based on the number of children with this cancer in the United States. Also, experts measure the survival statistics every 5 years. This means the estimate may not reflect the results of advancements in how neuroblastoma is diagnosed or treated from the last 5 years. Talk with your child’s doctor if you have any questions about this information. Learn more about understanding statistics.

Statistics adapted from the American Cancer Society website. Additional source was: Seigel R, et al.: Cancer Statistics 2022. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2022 Jan; 72(1):7-33. doi/full/10.3322/caac.21708. (All sources accessed January 2022.)

The next section in this guide is Medical Illustrations. It offers drawings of body parts often affected by neuroblastoma. Use the menu to choose a different section to read in this guide.