According to the Mayo Clinic, neuroblastoma is a form of cancer that originates from nerve cells. Sometimes, this cancer can form in your adrenal gland (located above your kidneys), stomach, chest and pelvis. Typically, neuroblastoma affects children 5 or younger, says the Mayo Clinic. In fact, it's the most prevalent cancer found in infants.
Abdominal
According to the Mayo Clinic, abdominal neuroblastoma is the most common form of this cancer. Symptoms include stomach pain, leg swelling, and alterations in bowel habits and urination. For example, your child may experience bouts of constipation or diarrhea. He may frequently urinate or experience decreased urination. Your child can also have a full stomach and develop a painless mass underneath the skin.
Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation treatment and stem cell transplants are treatment options available for all types of neuroblastoma. Surgery involves removing the clump of cancerous cells; chemotherapy and radiation involves destroying the cancerous cells with toxic drugs and high-energy X-rays, respectively.
Chest
The Mayo Clinic says neuroblastoma can also affect the chest. Wheezing, facial swelling, drooping eyelids and different pupil sizes are characteristic signs of chest neuroblastoma.
Other Types
According to the American Cancer Society, other tumors can form in your child. A ganglioneuroma is a harmless tumor made up of nerves and ganglions (a collection of nerve cells). A ganglioneuroblastoma is a type of tumor that's not benign or malignant. MedlinePlus indicates this is a rare tumor that occurs in five of every million children. Typically, a mass is present and palpable in the stomach, but this mass can also appear anywhere in the body.
The Mayo Clinic says neuroblastomas in general can also cause protruding eyeballs (proptosis), back pain, dark circles around the eyes, bone pain, unintentional weight loss and spine curvatures.
