| Abstract: |
Neuroblastoma accounts for 8-10% of all pediatric cancers and 15% of all pediatric cancer-related deaths. Seven hundred new cases are diagnosed in the United States each year. Two-thirds of the cases are diagnosed in children less than 5 years of age, and approximately one-third are in children younger than 1 year old. Neuroblastoma is more common in boys than girls (ratio 0.3:0.2) and is the most common neoplasm in infants and most common extracranial intra-abdominal solid tumor in childhood. Neuroblastoma is a solid tumor that begins in cells that are derived from the neural crest and are part of the sympathetic nervous system. It can arise in the neck, chest, abdomen, or pelvis, but most often in the abdomen (70%), with 40% arising from the adrenal medulla. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. |
