Diagnosing Neuroblastoma

Many adults are familiar with cancer screening which can include a multitude of tests to see what the likeliness is that a person will develop or already has developed cancer. For example, once women reach the age of 40, they are recommended to get mammograms regularly. This is a diagnostic test that specifically screens for breast cancer. Likewise, men are encouraged to be screened for their risk of developing prostate cancer. Now, there are other factors that contribute to the reasoning for cancer screening but this gives you a general idea.

For children, there really is no good way to screen for neuroblastoma. Fortunately, most children are diagnosed before the age of one year but are usually diagnosed because of the signs and symptoms that present in children. The National Cancer Institute explains that there is a 24-hour urine collection that may be done for a child to help screen for neuroblastoma but this screening "does not decrease the [child's] chance of dying from the disease." However, if a child is diagnosed because of screening done before six months of age, the child will most likely have a good prognosis with the neuroblastoma that had developed.

Other diagnostic testing is done to rule out other causes and/or to confirm the diagnosis of neuroblastoma. Simple testing of urine or blood may be done as well as imaging studies which may include: a MRI, CT scan, X-rays, an ultrasound, or a bone scan. A biopsy may be done in order to test the actual tissue to find out an exact diagnosis and to guide any treatment that may be needed. Another test that may be needed and is specific to neuroblastoma is a MIBG. This is when iodine-meta-iodobenzyl-guanidine, a type of radioactive material, is injected into blood to see if the neuroblastoma has spread to other areas of the body or has metastasized.

Once test results are known then treatment plans can be put into place. Next week I will talk more about what the signs and symptoms are for this disease and then will discuss treatment options the following week.

Please, stay tuned!



Sources:

http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/cancer/neuroblastoma.html#

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/screening/neuroblastoma/Patient/page1/AllPages/Print

What Causes This Childhood Cancer?

One of the first things that a patient wants to know after being diagnosed with any illness is: what caused this? This concept is especially true for those who have been diagnosed with cancer or in the case of children, family members may be the ones asking the questions. Often times parents are worried that it was caused by some action that they did or did not take; they blame themselves for the child's neuroblastoma diagnosis. However, it is important to understand that there is not always a clear explanation for what caused a certain disease (or in this case, cancer).
 
Neuroblastoma is a mysterious cancer. Little is understood about the reason it develops and currently there are no lifestyle or environmental factors that may be contributing to its development. As you may know, lung cancer may be caused by carcinogens breathed in while smoking a cigarette (a lifestyle and/or environmental factor) but there is no apparent reason that a child will develop neuroblastoma.
 
Researchers have discovered that neuroblastomas are formed from nerve cells called neuroblasts. It is known that if neuroblasts fail to become mature cells, they may continue to divide and grow creating the childhood cancer we know as neuroblastoma. Other possible causes include gene mutations during fetal development or changes that may occur after birth because of an inherited trait from one or both parents.

It can be extremely frustrating and saddening to learn that the cause of this cancer is unknown so offering support to family members is important. There are many groups that individuals or family may join to learn more about neuroblastoma or to find support from others who are struggling with a similar diagnosis. Hospitals and clinics should be able to help direct those interested in finding specific support groups.

Next week we will explore in more detail how a neuroblastoma is diagnosed and how the disease progresses...



Locations where neuroblastomas develop
Picture source

Sources:

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/neuroblastoma/detailedguide/neuroblastoma-what-causes

http://www.uofmchildrenshospital.org/fv/groups/public/documents/images/189315.jpg

Who Is Affected?

As mentioned last week, neuroblastoma is a cancer that affects children. According to the American Cancer Society, it is one of the more common cancers diagnosed in infants but only makes up about 6% of childhood cancers. It is rarely diagnosed after the age of 10 and is found, on average, between the ages of 1-2 years (American Cancer Society). That being said, neuroblastoma is considered a rare disease and in the United States it affects less than 200,000 children (Right Diagnosis).

Early diagnosis in children is key if they want any chance at living a happy, healthy life. With neuroblastoma there are different factors that affect a child's mortality rate. Mortality rate measures the number of deaths in a particular population over a certain period of time; generally the units are 1,000 deaths per year.

Children who are diagnosed with neuroblastoma are usually categorized into one of three risk groups: low, intermediate or high. Categorization is dependent upon different factors surrounding the diagnosis of the cancer like size and location of the tumor or how the child's cancer has responded to treatment. According to the American Cancer Society, the following statistics are available for survival rates:

• Low-risk group: Children have a 5-year survival rate that is higher than 95%.
• Intermediate-risk group: The 5-year survival rate is around 90% to 95%.
• High-risk group: Children have a 5-year survival rate around 40% to 50%

As you can imagine, this information is tough for parents to receive. However, it is important to note that these kinds of statistics are always changing. There are multiple factors that contribute to said numbers and with the new discoveries and research that is always being done, there may be an even better chance for survival of children affected by this disease.

Next week I will discuss the cause of this disease and explain whether or not there are any modifiable factors (things that may be changed to decrease the risk) that may contribute to the development of neuroblastoma in children.


Sources:

American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/neuroblastoma/detailedguide/neuroblastoma-key-statistics

Right Diagnosis:
http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/n/neuroblastoma/prevalence.htm

Wikipedia - Mortality Rate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortality_rate

What is a Neuroblastoma?

In my previous blog I began by discussing the differences between benign and malignant tumors and also referencing key terms to understand cancer. If you need a refresher, please visit this website which defines cancer in an easy-to-understand way with video and text explanation. That being said, you may have now guessed that neuroblastoma is a type of cancer - and you are correct.
 
In the coming weeks I will discuss in greater detail how this cancer develops, who is effected, what treatment options are available and the outcomes for those affected. For now, I simply want to define the disease so that we may have a better understanding of what to expect when someone is diagnosed with neuroblastoma.
 
Neuroblastoma is a type of childhood cancer that develops in cells called neuroblasts. As you may have also guessed, "neuro" suggests that these are related to the nervous system - again, yes. Neuroblasts are immature nerve cells that are able to divide and multiply (much like other cells in the body). When neuroblasts are considered to be mature, they become neurons and help many parts of the nervous system function. However, when these immature nerve cells multiply when they are not supposed to or die when they are not supposed to, a child may develop a neuroblastoma.
 
Neuroblastomas are cancerous tumors are commonly found in the adrenal glands (located above the kidney on each side of the body). Tumors may also develop along the spine, in the abdomen or any place where there is a bundle of nerve fibers, commonly referred to as ganglion. As previously stated, I will discuss the cause of the disease in greater detail in the coming weeks.
 
Stay tuned...


Above: Support ribbon to find a cure for childhood cancer
Original image found here

 

 



Sources:

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/neuroblastoma/detailedguide/neuroblastoma-what-is-neuroblastoma

http://www.cancercenter.com/discussions/blog/anatomy-of-cancer/?source=MSNPPC&channel=paid+search&c=paid+search%3AMSN%3ANational+Cancer+Types+%28New%29Exact%3Acancer+definition%3AExact&OVMTC=e&OVKEY=cancer+definition&url_id=190102133&device=c

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Neuroblasts