ABSTRACT
Almost 50" of childhood cancer occurs under the age of 5 years with clear evidence of inheritability being identified in many. An interesting group of tumors are those occurring at birth or in the neonatal period because of the limitations of exposure to environmental factors-the so-called neonatal tumors (NNTs). NNTs or perinatal tumors comprise only 2" of childhood malignancies. The majority of tumors are diagnosed when the infant is between 1 and 4 weeks of age. Fewer malignant tumors are diagnosed at birth, although benign or potentially malignant tumors are frequently encountered then. With the advent of routine prenatal ultrasonographic screening and the considerable recent advances in technology, many NNTs are now diagnosed antenatally. Many NNTs present with benign masses, some of which may be incidental findings or diagnosed with antenatal ultrasonography. The etiology of cancer in children is multifactorial and probably includes both genetic and environmental factors.
