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Neuroblastoma
Precursors to neuroblastoma recurrence
For neuroblastoma, if recurrence occurs, the patient may show symptoms like recurrent headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. Additionally, if the optic nerve is involved, there may be a decrease in vision and visual field defects. Even the possibility exists that the tumor could recur, increase in size, and compress surrounding important blood vessels and nerves, leading to an increase in intracranial pressure, which manifests as worsening of the original symptoms of headaches and dizziness. Once such symptoms occur, it generally suggests a high likelihood of neuroblastoma recurrence. If it causes symptoms such as hemiplegia and aphasia, it can generally be confirmed.
Early symptoms of neuroblastoma
For patients with neuroblastoma, the early stages of the disease often manifest as mild headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. The symptoms are relatively mild and can be significantly alleviated by taking oral pain relief medications. Therefore, the condition often does not receive adequate attention, leading to missed diagnoses. As the tumor size increases, the original symptoms such as headaches and dizziness will significantly worsen. Some patients may even experience optic nerve atrophy, papilledema, reduced visual fields, and vision deficits. When such conditions occur, patients often undergo cranial CT or MRI scans to confirm the presence of neuroblastoma.
Causes of Neuroblastoma
Currently, there is no definitive conclusion about the specific causes of neuroblastoma, but most scholars believe that the occurrence of neuroblastoma is the result of congenital genetic factors combined with acquired factors. For patients with neuroblastoma, there is often a family history of genetic diseases showing a familial clustering tendency. In addition, poor living environments and habits, including exposure to radioactive contamination or prolonged exposure to electromagnetic radiation, may also contribute to the development of neuroblastoma.
How to avoid neuroblastoma
To avoid neuroblastoma, it is recommended to develop good living habits in daily life, including maintaining over 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day to keep physically healthy. Additionally, it is advisable to consume more fruits rich in vitamin C, which contain abundant vitamins that can effectively serve as antioxidants. Keeping good sleep habits, going to bed early and waking up early, avoiding staying up late and long durations of using mobile phones or computers to minimize excessive exposure to electromagnetic radiation. In daily life, one should also learn self-protection, avoid contact with carcinogenic chemicals, and avoid excessive exposure to radioactive pollution. All these measures can effectively prevent the condition.
Causes of Neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma is a highly malignant tumor. In most cases, it is seen in neuroepithelial cells. Currently, there is no consensus on the specific causes of neuroblastoma. It is generally believed that congenital genetic factors, as well as mutations, gene deletions, and changes in tumor suppressor genes in patients, are greatly related. Acquired factors should not be ignored either, such as poor lifestyle and dietary habits. In most cases, the prognosis for neuroblastoma is poor, with patients having a short survival period. Most patients, even after undergoing surgical treatment, often experience poor outcomes and ultimately die from multi-organ dysfunction and failure.
Late-stage symptoms of neuroblastoma
For patients with neuroblastoma, they often experience significant symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. The intracranial pressure continuously rises, leading to noticeable optic atrophy, vision loss, and visual field defects. When the tumor volume further increases, it may also compress the surrounding tissues, causing apparent cranial nerve dysfunction. Moreover, in the late stages of the disease, the tumor can spread to other parts of the body via the bloodstream, forming metastases. Additionally, it is likely to disseminate through the cerebrospinal fluid.
Neuroblastoma treatment
Neuroblastoma is relatively considered a malignant tumor, and its growth rate is quite rapid. It often adheres to surrounding tissues in the early stages, which makes it very difficult to completely remove surgically. However, even so, it is still advisable to opt for surgical treatment once neuroblastoma is detected. The tumor should be completely removed surgically, and a small amount of tumor tissue should be retained for pathological examination after removal. Based on the results of the pathological examination, it will be determined whether additional treatments such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy are needed. Furthermore, since some neuroblastomas are sensitive to radiotherapy, it is recommended to promptly take the patient to a local hospital for treatment after surgery.
Is neuroblastoma a cancer?
Neuroblastoma is a highly malignant tumor, one of the most malignant among neuroepithelial tumors, and thus can be considered as cancer from this perspective. Typically, its tumor biology growth pattern is that of a malignant tumor, often growing rapidly. In the early stages of the disease, it tends to adhere closely to surrounding tissues, making it difficult for surgery to be completely successful. In addition, during treatment, it can be observed that the tumor cells are highly invasive to surrounding tissues. This often leads to significant brain edema, resulting in compression of important surrounding blood vessels and nerves, causing functional damage. The tumor can also spread through the bloodstream, making it difficult to completely remove surgically, or to miss the optimal time for surgical treatment, resulting in a poor prognosis.
Can neuroblastoma be cured?
Neuroblastoma is a malignant tumor that often grows rapidly. In the early stages of the disease, it can easily invade surrounding tissues and nerves, making it very difficult to completely remove the tumor through surgery. In most cases, even after surgical treatment, there is a high tendency for recurrence in children, making it difficult to achieve a clinical cure. For most patients with neuroblastoma, early post-surgical treatment involving high doses of radiotherapy and chemotherapy can effectively reduce the likelihood of tumor recurrence and appropriately prolong the patient’s lifespan. This helps in extending the lifespan and improving the quality of life to some extent, but generally, the final prognosis remains poor.
What should be avoided in the diet for neuroblastoma?
Patients with neuroblastoma should be cautious with their diet and avoid foods that are overly greasy or spicy. It's also advisable to limit or avoid carbohydrate-rich or fried foods and those high in cholesterol. If the patient has allergies, they should avoid seafood products, which contain abundant animal proteins and can trigger allergic reactions, potentially leading to allergic dermatitis or allergic asthma. Additionally, some fruits, such as durian or mango, may also induce allergic reactions, so it is best to consume them sparingly or not at all.