ABSTRACT
Neuroblastoma is an embryonal tumor of the sympathetic nervous system that arises from neural crest cells. It is the most common solid extracranial malignancy of childhood and the most common malignant tumor of infants. Most cases occur under 1 year of age, with a median age of detection of 22 months. Neuroblastoma accounts for 8% of all childhood cancers diagnosed under 15 years of age and has been showing an increasing incidence. There are about 700 new cases annually in the United States. Fifteen percent of pediatric cancer deaths can be attributed to neuroblastoma, which is a disproportionately high mortality compared with the incidence. This can be explained by the poor survival in the high-risk group. Low- and intermediate-risk groups, on the other hand, have an excellent survival, leading to a push to decrease intensity of therapy for these groups. With less therapy, the low and intermediate groups have still had excellent outcomes. There is a slight male preponderance in neuroblastoma, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.3:1.
