Best Doctor for Neuroblastoma Treatment in Mumbai, India
Neuroblastoma most commonly starts in the tissue of the adrenal glands, the triangular glands on top of the kidneys that make hormones that control heart rate, blood pressure, and other important functions. Like other cancers, neuroblastoma can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, skin, liver, and bones
In a few cases, the tendency to get this type of cancer can be passed down from a parent to a child (called the familial type). But most cases of neuroblastoma (98%) are not inherited (called the sporadic type). It happens almost exclusively in infants and children, and is slightly more common in boys than in girls.
Children diagnosed with neuroblastoma are usually younger than 5 years old, and most new cases happen in children younger than 2. About 700 new cases of neuroblastoma are diagnosed each year in the United States.
Causes
Neuroblastoma happens when neuroblasts grow and divide out of control instead of developing into nerve cells. The exact cause of this abnormal growth is not known, but scientists believe a defect in the genes of a neuroblast allows it to divide uncontrollably.
Diagnosis
If a doctor suspects neuroblastoma, your child may undergo tests to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other causes of symptoms. These tests may include simple urine tests and blood tests, imaging studies (such as X-rays, a CT scan, an MRI, an ultrasound, and a bone scan), and a biopsy (removal and examination of a tissue sample).
These tests help to find the location and size of the original (primary) tumor and see whether it has spread to other areas of the body, a process called staging. Other tests, such as a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, also might be done.
The doctor might order an MIBG scan. In this imaging test, MIBG (iodine-meta-iodobenzyl-guanidine, a type of radioactive material) is injected into the blood and attaches to neuroblastoma cells. This lets the doctor see if the neuroblastoma has spread to other parts of the body. MIBG is also used at higher doses to treat neuroblastoma, and can be used for scanning after treatment to see if any cancer cells remain.
In rare cases, neuroblastoma may be detected by ultrasound before birth.
Treatment
How neuroblastoma is treated depends on factors that determine risk, such as the child's age, the characteristics of the tumor, and whether the cancer has spread.
The three risk groups are: low risk, intermediate risk, and high risk. Children with low-risk or intermediate-risk neuroblastoma have a good chance of being cured. However, more than half of all children with neuroblastoma have the high-risk type, which can be difficult to cure.
Because some cases of neuroblastoma disappear on their own without treatment, doctors also sometimes use "watchful waiting" before trying other treatments.
Typical treatments for neuroblastoma include surgery to remove the tumor, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. If the tumor hasn't spread to other parts of the body, surgery is usually enough.
Unfortunately, in most cases the neuroblastoma has spread by the time it's diagnosed. In these cases, chemotherapy and surgery are usually the primary treatments and may be done along with radiation therapy and stem cell transplants.
Another treatment the doctor might suggest is retinoid therapy. (Retinoids are substances that work in the body much like vitamin A.) Scientists believe that retinoids can help cure neuroblastoma by encouraging cancer cells to turn into mature nerve cells. Retinoids are often used after other treatments to help prevent the cancer from growing back.
Other treatment options include tumor vaccines and immunotherapy using monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies are special substances that can be injected into the body to seek out and attach to cancer cells. They're sometimes used to stimulate the immune system to attack the neuroblastoma cancer cells.
