Neuroblastoma treatment

Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
Updated on September 13, 2024
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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.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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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.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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How does neuroblastoma heal itself?

Neuroblastoma cannot completely heal by itself. Once neuroblastoma is detected, patients should be promptly taken to local hospitals for treatment, be hospitalized, and undergo skull CT or MRI scans. If necessary, enhanced MRI scans can be conducted to clarify the current location of the tumor and its relationship with surrounding tissues, and to determine the surgical plan. The tumor should be completely removed through surgery. After the surgery, a small amount of tumor tissue should be kept for pathological slides to assess the need for radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or other related treatments based on the results of the pathological examination. For some elderly and frail patients who cannot tolerate surgery, Gamma Knife treatment can also be considered.

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Written by Kang Li
Neurosurgery
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Symptoms of Neuroblastoma

Typical symptoms of neuroblastoma include anemia and fatigue, excitement, no weight gain or weight loss, or irregular fever. The initial symptoms in the course of a short disease are not typical. Early diagnosis is difficult. Nonspecific symptoms include fatigue, loss of appetite, fever, joint pain. Those occurring within the skull display a bit of central nervous system cursing symptoms and symptoms of intracranial hypertension. Main manifestation. Occurrence outside the skull depends on the location of the tumor and the metastatic sites. Involvement of the thoracic cavity can cause chest and back pain and difficulty breathing, involvement of the abdominal cavity is characterized by abdominal distension, constipation, dysentery, and involvement of the spinal canal manifests as reduced strength in the trunk and limbs, and motor and sensory disturbances.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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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.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Can neuroblastoma be treated?

Neuroblastoma is the most common tumor in childhood, and it is also the most common in infants and toddlers. Typically, neuroblastoma is a type of neuroendocrine tumor, clinically found often in the adrenal glands or in nervous tissues such as the neck, chest, and abdomen. Currently, neuroblastoma can be effectively classified according to its level of risk into low-risk, intermediate-risk, or high-risk groups. For patients in the low-risk group, surgical treatment can achieve satisfactory results; for patients in the intermediate-risk or high-risk groups, treatment often involves a combination of methods, yet still may not achieve satisfactory results.