Showing posts with label Neuroblastoma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Neuroblastoma. Show all posts
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Noah Update
From Noahs Mom Anne: Prayers for Noah please in ICU w/high bp which is causing his vision to be gone...long night of having a siezure, high bp & no vision...praying it comes back...bp gets handled and he is healed...God is the ultimate physician!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
First Genomic-based Pediatric Trials Launched in Neuroblastoma
Last November, Dell announced it was donating an initial $4 million including cloud-computing technology to speed up development of personalized medicine trials for children with neuroblastoma and other pediatric cancers. According to the American Cancer Society, about 650 children under the age of 15 are diagnosed with neuroblastoma each year. It is the second most common tumor in children and the most common cancer in babies less than 1 year old. Although 5-year survival rates for children with low- and intermediate-risk neuroblastoma is higher than 95%, only between 40% and 50% of children with high-risk neuroblastoma survive long-term. The disease is responsible for one in seven pediatric cancer deaths.
To increase survival rates, researchers need the ability to analyze a patient's genomic profile quickly and then determine highly targeted, effective therapies for that patient's tumor type, saidGiselle Sholler, MD, Chair of the Neuroblastoma and Medulloblastoma Translational Research Consortium (NMTRC); Co-director of the Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) Pediatric Cancer Translational Research Program; and Director of the Haworth Family Pediatric Oncology Innovative Therapeutics Clinic at the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Pilot Study
To accomplish that goal, last spring, Dr. Sholler launched the first genomic-based personalized medicine pediatric cancer trial in neuroblastoma. "The program developed over the past 5 years while we were profiling all of our neuroblastoma patients by isolating the neruoblastoma cells from their bone marrow and noticing that they had very different tumor profiles," says Dr. Sholler.
Dr. Sholler worked withCraig Webb, PhD, Co-director of VARI's Pediatric Cancer Translational Research Program, who developed the computer algorithms to analyze the RNA expression of the tumors of each of the five patients in a pilot study, completed in 2010, and then found drugs that targeted each tumor type. All of the children had relapsed from front-line therapy and had no other therapeutic options.
"The Institutional Review Board wanted us to be able to get the data back in real time because neuroblastoma tumors grow so quickly. Our goal was to be able to do a biopsy of each patient's tumor, analyze the data from the gene-expression profile, generate a report, and then bring together members of our molecular tumor board, which includes researchers, oncologists, pharmacists, bioinformaticians, pathologists, and radiologists. The board would discuss each patient's clinical care so far, the status of the patient, and, based on the report, the list of drugs that target the patient's tumor, so that we could create an individual treatment plan. All of this would be done in less than 2 weeks," said Dr. Sholler.
Larger Trial
A larger 14-patient trial opened last summer at five centers by the NMTRC in collaboration with Intervention Insights-there are 11 clinical trial sites nationwide and 7 more are expected to open this year-and three neuroblastoma patients have enrolled so far. Implementation of Dell's cloud supercomputer, which is 1,200% faster than the current technology in use at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), where the data is stored, will allow Dr. Sholler to not only sequence each patient's RNA expression profile, but his DNA expression profile as well, in less time.
"Sequencing itself takes about 2 weeks, but the analysis that takes time too. Right now, 2 months is the quickest we can get good data to make clinical decisions. The supercomputer will shorten that time to about 2 weeks for RNA sequencing and 1 month for DNA sequencing. We will make clinical decisions based on the RNA sequencing and expression and go through a cycle or two of therapy and then have our second molecular tumor board meeting, when we will have the DNA information as well and we can reassess treatment options," said Dr. Sholler.
Future of Personalized Medicine
"We choose to fund the personalized medicine trials of the NMTRC because neuroblastoma is such a deadly cancer and we wanted to take the cancer and use it as the first model for how we will do this kind of pediatric research going forward," saidJames M. Coffin, PhD, Vice President and General Manager of Dell Healthcare and Life Sciences. "This model of personalized medicine is transferable to every kind of cancer, and we expect to build one of the largest supercomputing platforms in the genomic field."
Analysis of the genomic profiling will be done using software developed by VARI's Pediatric Cancer Translational Research Program and TGen, which Dr. Sholler can then use to create a treatment plan for each patient, using FDA-approved drugs with known pediatric dosing for the specific tumor type. For this study, the FDA has approved the use of a combination of up to four drugs from any drug classification.
"Our goal is to offer these children a good quality of life, and we are not leaning toward the use of high-dose chemotherapies. Instead, we're looking at lower-dose targeted therapies in combination with maybe one or two chemotherapies," said Dr. Sholler.
Although Dr. Sholler's trials are the first attempt in personalized medicine for children with relapsed disease, if successful, genomic-based medicine for pediatric patients with cancer may eventually be used in the front-line setting, where the greatest chance for cure may be possible.
Improving Cure Rates
"Once a child with neuroblastoma has relapsed, there is no curative therapy. We have been able with lower-dose therapies to extend the lives of these children over the past 5 years. If we can understand what's driving the tumors, stop them from growing, and ultimately kill them, that's a cure," Dr. Sholler said.
"I'm hoping that as we validate this type of methodology and bring this to upfront therapy, that's when we're going to see the cure rates change. Right now we treat all the kids with the same high-dose therapy, but only 50% are responding. We're not serving the other 50% very well," she concluded. ■
Source:http://www.ascopost.com/articles/january-15-2012/first-genomic-based-pediatric-trials-launched-in-neuroblastoma/#.TzKO8iIrj-A.facebook
To increase survival rates, researchers need the ability to analyze a patient's genomic profile quickly and then determine highly targeted, effective therapies for that patient's tumor type, saidGiselle Sholler, MD, Chair of the Neuroblastoma and Medulloblastoma Translational Research Consortium (NMTRC); Co-director of the Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) Pediatric Cancer Translational Research Program; and Director of the Haworth Family Pediatric Oncology Innovative Therapeutics Clinic at the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Pilot Study
To accomplish that goal, last spring, Dr. Sholler launched the first genomic-based personalized medicine pediatric cancer trial in neuroblastoma. "The program developed over the past 5 years while we were profiling all of our neuroblastoma patients by isolating the neruoblastoma cells from their bone marrow and noticing that they had very different tumor profiles," says Dr. Sholler.
Dr. Sholler worked withCraig Webb, PhD, Co-director of VARI's Pediatric Cancer Translational Research Program, who developed the computer algorithms to analyze the RNA expression of the tumors of each of the five patients in a pilot study, completed in 2010, and then found drugs that targeted each tumor type. All of the children had relapsed from front-line therapy and had no other therapeutic options.
"The Institutional Review Board wanted us to be able to get the data back in real time because neuroblastoma tumors grow so quickly. Our goal was to be able to do a biopsy of each patient's tumor, analyze the data from the gene-expression profile, generate a report, and then bring together members of our molecular tumor board, which includes researchers, oncologists, pharmacists, bioinformaticians, pathologists, and radiologists. The board would discuss each patient's clinical care so far, the status of the patient, and, based on the report, the list of drugs that target the patient's tumor, so that we could create an individual treatment plan. All of this would be done in less than 2 weeks," said Dr. Sholler.
Larger Trial
A larger 14-patient trial opened last summer at five centers by the NMTRC in collaboration with Intervention Insights-there are 11 clinical trial sites nationwide and 7 more are expected to open this year-and three neuroblastoma patients have enrolled so far. Implementation of Dell's cloud supercomputer, which is 1,200% faster than the current technology in use at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), where the data is stored, will allow Dr. Sholler to not only sequence each patient's RNA expression profile, but his DNA expression profile as well, in less time.
"Sequencing itself takes about 2 weeks, but the analysis that takes time too. Right now, 2 months is the quickest we can get good data to make clinical decisions. The supercomputer will shorten that time to about 2 weeks for RNA sequencing and 1 month for DNA sequencing. We will make clinical decisions based on the RNA sequencing and expression and go through a cycle or two of therapy and then have our second molecular tumor board meeting, when we will have the DNA information as well and we can reassess treatment options," said Dr. Sholler.
Future of Personalized Medicine
"We choose to fund the personalized medicine trials of the NMTRC because neuroblastoma is such a deadly cancer and we wanted to take the cancer and use it as the first model for how we will do this kind of pediatric research going forward," saidJames M. Coffin, PhD, Vice President and General Manager of Dell Healthcare and Life Sciences. "This model of personalized medicine is transferable to every kind of cancer, and we expect to build one of the largest supercomputing platforms in the genomic field."
Analysis of the genomic profiling will be done using software developed by VARI's Pediatric Cancer Translational Research Program and TGen, which Dr. Sholler can then use to create a treatment plan for each patient, using FDA-approved drugs with known pediatric dosing for the specific tumor type. For this study, the FDA has approved the use of a combination of up to four drugs from any drug classification.
"Our goal is to offer these children a good quality of life, and we are not leaning toward the use of high-dose chemotherapies. Instead, we're looking at lower-dose targeted therapies in combination with maybe one or two chemotherapies," said Dr. Sholler.
Although Dr. Sholler's trials are the first attempt in personalized medicine for children with relapsed disease, if successful, genomic-based medicine for pediatric patients with cancer may eventually be used in the front-line setting, where the greatest chance for cure may be possible.
Improving Cure Rates
"Once a child with neuroblastoma has relapsed, there is no curative therapy. We have been able with lower-dose therapies to extend the lives of these children over the past 5 years. If we can understand what's driving the tumors, stop them from growing, and ultimately kill them, that's a cure," Dr. Sholler said.
"I'm hoping that as we validate this type of methodology and bring this to upfront therapy, that's when we're going to see the cure rates change. Right now we treat all the kids with the same high-dose therapy, but only 50% are responding. We're not serving the other 50% very well," she concluded. ■
Source:http://www.ascopost.com/articles/january-15-2012/first-genomic-based-pediatric-trials-launched-in-neuroblastoma/#.TzKO8iIrj-A.facebook
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Noah is HAMA positive, please pray!
Noah is HAMA positive, which means he built up resistance to the treatment, please pray!
Friday, November 4, 2011
Neuroblastoma Awareness: Therapy Reduces Dangerous Side-effects of Cancer Treatment in Children
Children given a hormone growth factor alongside chemotherapy for the aggressive cancer neuroblastoma are less likely to suffer a potentially deadly side-effect, according to a major international study published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology*.
The hormone, called granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF), was already known to boost production of white blood cells. But this Cancer Research UK-funded study is the first large randomised trial to show it can reduce the complications associated with low white blood cell count in children treated for advanced forms of neuroblastoma.
Around 100 children are diagnosed with neuroblastoma** every year in the UK, usually under the age of five. Overall six out of ten children are successfully treated, but for children with advanced forms of the cancer it is very difficult to treat successfully.
Children diagnosed with advanced forms of neuroblastoma are given particularly intense treatment that combines surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
But this treatment often carries the side-effect of ‘neutropenia’ - a low white blood cell count. As white blood cells are key components of the immune system, patients who develop neutropenia during treatment are more susceptible to other diseases and complications.
Professor Andy Pearson, lead author of the paper and Cancer Research UK's professor of paediatric oncology at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in Sutton, said: “Patients given GCSF immediately after chemotherapy treatment had fewer problems associated with neutropenia, such as fever, infections, days spent in hospital or on antibiotics and gastrointestinal issues.
“Our team previously identified the high dose chemotherapy regimen that is already saving the lives of many children with high risk neurobastoma, and in this study we report finding a new therapy to reduce side-effects for these patients.
“On the strength of these new trial results, all children receiving intense chemotherapy to treat high-risk neuroblastoma will now be given GCSF.”
The work builds on promising results from an earlier study, also funded by Cancer Research UK and led by Professor Pearson at the ICR , which found that giving doses of five chemotherapy drugs – cisplatin, vincristine, carboplatin, etoposide, and cyclophosphamide – more frequently offered the best hope of a cure.
This therapy is now being taken forward as the treatment for children in Europe through the International Society of Paediatric Oncology, Europe Neuroblastoma Group (SIOPEN)***.
Kate Law, Cancer Research UK's director of clinical trials, said: "The results of this promising trial mean that children across Europe diagnosed with neuroblastoma will receive a more effective treatment for this disease.
“Cancer Research UK is the largest single funder of children’s cancer research in the country and is at the heart of an international research effort leading to rapid improvements in children surviving cancer with the fewest possible side effects.”
Notes:
*Ladenstein et al., Journal of Clinical Oncology (2010), Randomised trial of prophylactic granulocyte colony stimulating factor during rapid COJEC induction in paediatric patients with high-risk neuroblastoma: the European HR-NBL1/SIOPEN study.
** Neuroblastoma is a form of childhood cancer which starts in the child's developing nerves and often appears as a tumour in the abdomen, adrenal glands or the nerve tissue at the back of the abdomen. About one hundred children are diagnosed in the UK each year, mostly before the age of five, and the high-risk form of the disease is one of the main causes of cancer-related deaths in children.
*** The SIOPEN Group led by Dr Ruth Ladenstein at St Anna Children’s Hospital in Vienna, Austria and Professor Pearson at the ICR carried out a Cancer Research UK-funded trial in 16 European countries that assessed the clinical benefit of prophylactic GCSF use. The scientists monitored side-effects of rapid, intense chemotherapy in 119 patients who were routinely given GCSF with 120 patients who were only given GCSF if a severe infection developed.
Source: http://insciences.org/article.php?article_id=9316
The hormone, called granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF), was already known to boost production of white blood cells. But this Cancer Research UK-funded study is the first large randomised trial to show it can reduce the complications associated with low white blood cell count in children treated for advanced forms of neuroblastoma.
Around 100 children are diagnosed with neuroblastoma** every year in the UK, usually under the age of five. Overall six out of ten children are successfully treated, but for children with advanced forms of the cancer it is very difficult to treat successfully.
Children diagnosed with advanced forms of neuroblastoma are given particularly intense treatment that combines surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
But this treatment often carries the side-effect of ‘neutropenia’ - a low white blood cell count. As white blood cells are key components of the immune system, patients who develop neutropenia during treatment are more susceptible to other diseases and complications.
Professor Andy Pearson, lead author of the paper and Cancer Research UK's professor of paediatric oncology at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in Sutton, said: “Patients given GCSF immediately after chemotherapy treatment had fewer problems associated with neutropenia, such as fever, infections, days spent in hospital or on antibiotics and gastrointestinal issues.
“Our team previously identified the high dose chemotherapy regimen that is already saving the lives of many children with high risk neurobastoma, and in this study we report finding a new therapy to reduce side-effects for these patients.
“On the strength of these new trial results, all children receiving intense chemotherapy to treat high-risk neuroblastoma will now be given GCSF.”
The work builds on promising results from an earlier study, also funded by Cancer Research UK and led by Professor Pearson at the ICR , which found that giving doses of five chemotherapy drugs – cisplatin, vincristine, carboplatin, etoposide, and cyclophosphamide – more frequently offered the best hope of a cure.
This therapy is now being taken forward as the treatment for children in Europe through the International Society of Paediatric Oncology, Europe Neuroblastoma Group (SIOPEN)***.
Kate Law, Cancer Research UK's director of clinical trials, said: "The results of this promising trial mean that children across Europe diagnosed with neuroblastoma will receive a more effective treatment for this disease.
“Cancer Research UK is the largest single funder of children’s cancer research in the country and is at the heart of an international research effort leading to rapid improvements in children surviving cancer with the fewest possible side effects.”
Notes:
*Ladenstein et al., Journal of Clinical Oncology (2010), Randomised trial of prophylactic granulocyte colony stimulating factor during rapid COJEC induction in paediatric patients with high-risk neuroblastoma: the European HR-NBL1/SIOPEN study.
** Neuroblastoma is a form of childhood cancer which starts in the child's developing nerves and often appears as a tumour in the abdomen, adrenal glands or the nerve tissue at the back of the abdomen. About one hundred children are diagnosed in the UK each year, mostly before the age of five, and the high-risk form of the disease is one of the main causes of cancer-related deaths in children.
*** The SIOPEN Group led by Dr Ruth Ladenstein at St Anna Children’s Hospital in Vienna, Austria and Professor Pearson at the ICR carried out a Cancer Research UK-funded trial in 16 European countries that assessed the clinical benefit of prophylactic GCSF use. The scientists monitored side-effects of rapid, intense chemotherapy in 119 patients who were routinely given GCSF with 120 patients who were only given GCSF if a severe infection developed.
Source: http://insciences.org/article.php?article_id=9316
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Yesterday
I surpassed my goal of getting 30 visitors to www.neuroblastomaawareness.com and got 8 more then my goal was! Keep it up! My next goal is for 50 a day! Today we've only had 3 but I posted in the post below information about neuroblastoma and pesticides effects. It is a journal article so you may need a membership or I can email you a copy of it.
God bless all those with, fighting or who have lost their battle with neuroblastoma
God bless all those with, fighting or who have lost their battle with neuroblastoma
Monday, October 11, 2010
Stages of Neuroblastoma
After neuroblastoma has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if cancer has spread from where it started to other parts of the body.
The process used to find out the extent or spread of cancer is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process helps determine the stage of the disease. For neuroblastoma, stage is one of the factors used to plan treatment. The following tests and procedures may be used to determine the stage:
Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy: The removal of bone marrow, blood, and a small piece of bone by inserting a hollow needle into the hipbone or breastbone. A pathologist views the bone marrow, blood, and bone under a microscope to look for signs of cancer.
Lymph nodebiopsy: The removal of all or part of a lymph node. A pathologist views the tissue under a microscope to look for cancer cells. One of the following types of biopsies may be done:
Excisional biopsy: The removal of an entire lymph node.
Incisional biopsy: The removal of part of a lymph node.
Core biopsy: The removal of tissue from a lymph node using a wide needle.
Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy: The removal of tissue or fluid from a lymph node using a thin needle.
CT scan (CAT scan): A procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, taken from different angles. The pictures are made by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly. This procedure is also called computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A procedure that uses a magnet, radio waves, and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. This procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI).
X-rays of the chest, bones, and abdomen: An x-ray is a type of energy beam that can go through the body and onto film, making a picture of areas inside the body.
Ultrasound exam: A procedure in which high-energy sound waves (ultrasound) are bounced off internal tissues or organs and make echoes. The echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram. The picture can be printed to be looked at later.
Radionuclide scan: A procedure to find areas in the body where cells, such as cancer cells, are dividing rapidly. A very small amount of radioactive material is swallowed or injected into a vein and travels through the bloodstream. The radioactive material collects in the bones or other tissues and is detected by a radiation-measuring device.
There are three ways that cancer spreads in the body.
Through tissue. Cancer invades the surrounding normal tissue.
Through the lymph system. Cancer invades the lymph system and travels through the lymph vessels to other places in the body.
Through the blood. Cancer invades the veins and capillaries and travels through the blood to other places in the body.
When cancer cells break away from the primary (original) tumor and travel through the lymph or blood to other places in the body, another (secondary) tumor may form. This process is called metastasis. The secondary (metastatic) tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example, if breast cancer spreads to the bones, the cancer cells in the bones are actually breast cancer cells. The disease is metastatic breast cancer, not bone cancer.
The following stages are used for neuroblastoma:
Stage 1
In stage 1, the tumor is in only one area and all of the tumor that can be seen is completely removed during surgery.
Stage 2
Stage 2 is divided into stage 2A and 2B.
Stage 2A: The tumor is in only one area and all of the tumor that can be seen cannot be completely removed during surgery.
Stage 2B: The tumor is in only one area and all of the tumor that can be seen may be completely removed during surgery. Cancercells are found in the lymph nodes near the tumor.
Stage 3
In stage 3, one of the following is true:
the tumor cannot be completely removed during surgery and has spread from one side of the body to the other side and may also have spread to nearby lymph nodes; or
the tumor is in only one area, on one side of the body, but has spread to lymph nodes on the other side of the body; or
the tumor is in the middle of the body and has spread to tissues or lymph nodes on both sides of the body, and the tumor cannot be removed by surgery.
Stage 4
Stage 4 is divided into stage 4 and stage 4S.
In stage 4, the tumor has spread to distant lymph nodes, the skin, or other parts of the body.
In stage 4S, the following are true:
the child is younger than 1 year; and
the cancer has spread to the skin, liver, and/or bone marrow; and
the tumor is in only one area and all of the tumor that can be seen may be completely removed during surgery; and/or
cancer cells may be found in the lymph nodes near the tumor.
Treatment of neuroblastoma is based on risk groups.
For many types of cancer, stages are used to plan treatment. For neuroblastoma, treatment depends on risk groups. The stage of neuroblastoma is one factor used to determine risk group. Other factors are the age of the child, tumor histology, and tumor biology.
There are 3 risk groups: low risk, intermediate risk, and high risk.
Low-risk and intermediate-risk neuroblastoma have a good chance of being cured.
High-risk neuroblastoma may be difficult to cure.
sources:http://www.webmd.com/cancer/tc/neuroblastoma-treatment-patient-information-nci-pdq-stages-of-neuroblastoma
The process used to find out the extent or spread of cancer is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process helps determine the stage of the disease. For neuroblastoma, stage is one of the factors used to plan treatment. The following tests and procedures may be used to determine the stage:
Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy: The removal of bone marrow, blood, and a small piece of bone by inserting a hollow needle into the hipbone or breastbone. A pathologist views the bone marrow, blood, and bone under a microscope to look for signs of cancer.
Lymph nodebiopsy: The removal of all or part of a lymph node. A pathologist views the tissue under a microscope to look for cancer cells. One of the following types of biopsies may be done:
Excisional biopsy: The removal of an entire lymph node.
Incisional biopsy: The removal of part of a lymph node.
Core biopsy: The removal of tissue from a lymph node using a wide needle.
Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy: The removal of tissue or fluid from a lymph node using a thin needle.
CT scan (CAT scan): A procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, taken from different angles. The pictures are made by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly. This procedure is also called computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A procedure that uses a magnet, radio waves, and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. This procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI).
X-rays of the chest, bones, and abdomen: An x-ray is a type of energy beam that can go through the body and onto film, making a picture of areas inside the body.
Ultrasound exam: A procedure in which high-energy sound waves (ultrasound) are bounced off internal tissues or organs and make echoes. The echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram. The picture can be printed to be looked at later.
Radionuclide scan: A procedure to find areas in the body where cells, such as cancer cells, are dividing rapidly. A very small amount of radioactive material is swallowed or injected into a vein and travels through the bloodstream. The radioactive material collects in the bones or other tissues and is detected by a radiation-measuring device.
There are three ways that cancer spreads in the body.
Through tissue. Cancer invades the surrounding normal tissue.
Through the lymph system. Cancer invades the lymph system and travels through the lymph vessels to other places in the body.
Through the blood. Cancer invades the veins and capillaries and travels through the blood to other places in the body.
When cancer cells break away from the primary (original) tumor and travel through the lymph or blood to other places in the body, another (secondary) tumor may form. This process is called metastasis. The secondary (metastatic) tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example, if breast cancer spreads to the bones, the cancer cells in the bones are actually breast cancer cells. The disease is metastatic breast cancer, not bone cancer.
The following stages are used for neuroblastoma:
Stage 1
In stage 1, the tumor is in only one area and all of the tumor that can be seen is completely removed during surgery.
Stage 2
Stage 2 is divided into stage 2A and 2B.
Stage 2A: The tumor is in only one area and all of the tumor that can be seen cannot be completely removed during surgery.
Stage 2B: The tumor is in only one area and all of the tumor that can be seen may be completely removed during surgery. Cancercells are found in the lymph nodes near the tumor.
Stage 3
In stage 3, one of the following is true:
the tumor cannot be completely removed during surgery and has spread from one side of the body to the other side and may also have spread to nearby lymph nodes; or
the tumor is in only one area, on one side of the body, but has spread to lymph nodes on the other side of the body; or
the tumor is in the middle of the body and has spread to tissues or lymph nodes on both sides of the body, and the tumor cannot be removed by surgery.
Stage 4
Stage 4 is divided into stage 4 and stage 4S.
In stage 4, the tumor has spread to distant lymph nodes, the skin, or other parts of the body.
In stage 4S, the following are true:
the child is younger than 1 year; and
the cancer has spread to the skin, liver, and/or bone marrow; and
the tumor is in only one area and all of the tumor that can be seen may be completely removed during surgery; and/or
cancer cells may be found in the lymph nodes near the tumor.
Treatment of neuroblastoma is based on risk groups.
For many types of cancer, stages are used to plan treatment. For neuroblastoma, treatment depends on risk groups. The stage of neuroblastoma is one factor used to determine risk group. Other factors are the age of the child, tumor histology, and tumor biology.
There are 3 risk groups: low risk, intermediate risk, and high risk.
Low-risk and intermediate-risk neuroblastoma have a good chance of being cured.
High-risk neuroblastoma may be difficult to cure.
sources:http://www.webmd.com/cancer/tc/neuroblastoma-treatment-patient-information-nci-pdq-stages-of-neuroblastoma
Saturday, October 9, 2010
What is Neuroblastoma?
Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid cancer in childhood and the most common cancer in infancy, with an annual incidence of about 650 new cases per year in the US.[1] Close to 50 percent of neuroblastoma cases occur in children younger than two years old.[2] It is a neuroendocrine tumor, arising from any neural crest element of the sympathetic nervous system or SNS. It most frequently originates in one of the adrenal glands, but can also develop in nerve tissues in the neck, chest, abdomen, or pelvis.
Neuroblastoma is one of the few human malignancies known to demonstrate spontaneous regression from an undifferentiated state to a completely benign cellular appearance.[3] It is a disease exhibiting extreme heterogeneity, and is stratified into three risk categories: low, intermediate, and high risk. Low-risk disease is most common in infants and good outcomes are common with observation only or surgery, whereas high-risk disease is difficult to treat successfully even with the most intensive multi-modal therapies available.[4]
Source:Wikipedia.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
