A type of cancer that forms from the sympathetic nervous system tissue, neuroblastomas affect children under the age of 5 most commonly. Part of the autonomic nervous system, the sympathetic nervous system responds to stress. MedlinePlus, a publication of the National Institutes of Health, notes that neuroblastomas affect one in 100,000 children. Neuroblastoma patients can experience pain, weight loss and diarrhea.
Surgery
MedlinePlus explains that in some neuroblastoma cases, such as in low-risk neuroblastoma patients, patients may only need surgery. With intermediate to high-risk neuroblastoma cases, the doctor will remove as much of the cancerous tissue as possible, then give the patients another type of treatment, like radiation therapy or chemotherapy. But some patients may not qualify for surgery. For example, if a patient's tumor is on a vital organ, the doctor may deem the surgery to be too risky. The National Cancer Institute points out that the order of the surgery in a patient's treatment plan depends on the severity of the neuroblastoma. For example, patients with low-risk neuroblastomas may have surgery after the doctor monitors the tumor's progress or have surgery followed by chemotherapy. Patients with intermediate-risk neuroblastoma may have just surgery, surgery followed by chemotherapy, or chemotherapy followed by surgery. With high-risk neuroblastoma, patients can have chemotherapy followed by surgery.
Radiation Therapy
Another treatment option for neuroblastoma includes radiation therapy, in which the doctor targets the radiation at the site of the tumor. Even though the doctor focuses the radiation on the tumor, the nearby tissue can become damaged by the treatment. The MayoClinic.com notes that doctors give radiation therapy to children with low-risk or intermediate-risk neuroblastoma if surgery or chemotherapy is not effective.
Chemotherapy
MedlinePlus notes that if a patient has a widespread neuroblastoma, meaning the tumor affects more than one site, the doctor may recommend chemotherapy. Patients may receive one or more chemotherapy drugs during treatment. The MayoClinic.com explains that the dosage of chemotherapy depends on the severity of the neuroblastoma. For example, low-risk neuroblastoma patients receive low doses of chemotherapy, while high-risk neuroblastoma patients receive high doses of chemotherapy. The National Cancer Institute adds that the doctor may combine other treatments with the chemotherapy. These other treatments include biological therapy, which boosts the immune system; 13-cis retinoic acid, which may help with cancer prevention; and monoclonal antibody therapy, which binds substances to tumors.
Stem Cell Transplant
The MayoClinic.com explains that high-risk neuroblastoma patients may receive a stem cell transplant. Patients receive their own stem cells that the doctor extracts from the blood. The doctor treats these stem cells with chemotherapy, then injects them into the patient's blood stream. The treated stem cells form new blood cells. The National Cancer Institute adds that doctors also use stem cell transplants with recurrent neuroblastoma.
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