Signs and Symptoms

As I mentioned last week, neuroblastoma can be tricky to diagnose and the earlier a diagnosis, the better the child's prognosis or outcome. The signs and symptoms of this cancer can sometimes be quite vague and may actually occur due to other causes (thus making a diagnosis difficult to detect purely based on signs and symptoms).

Some of the more common symptoms include:

    >  A lump in the abdomen or neck
    >  Loss of appetite
    >  Nausea or vomiting
    >  Weakness
    >  Fatigue
    >  Trouble breathing

Remember: signs and symptoms of cancer have many variables. Location, size, and how long the cancer has been growing may indicate that all or some, or maybe even different, symptoms may present in the child with neuroblastoma. As discussed last week, other lab and diagnostic testing should be completed in order to rule out any malignancies and to pinpoint a diagnosis which will help guide treatment.

Speaking of... next week I will focus on different treatment options.
Thanks for reading!

   

Picture found here

Sources:

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/neuroblastoma/detailedguide/neuroblastoma-signs-and-symptoms

http://www.stjude.org/stjude/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=a06c061585f70110VgnVCM1000001e0215acRCRD&vgnextchannel=3b8fbfe82e118010VgnVCM1000000e2015acRCRD&SearchUrl=search_results.jsp&QueryText=neuroblastoma