What is Neuroblastoma?
Neuroblastoma, a cancer of the peripheral nervous system, usually appears as a solid tumor in the chest or abdomen. Its cause is unknown. It accounts for 7 percent of all childhood cancers, but because it is often aggressive, it causes 15 percent of all childhood cancer deaths. While low-risk forms of Neuroblastoma may spontaneously disappear, in high-risk forms, the cancer tends to return after initial treatment, usually with lethal results. Nearly 70 percent of children diagnosed with Neuroblastoma have advanced-stage disease. Less than 40 percent of children with advanced disease live five years.
