Neuroblastoma - What Is Neuroblastoma - What Is A Neuroblastoma - Neuroblastoma Emedicine - Neuro Blastoma - What Causes Neuroblastoma

The causes of neuroblastoma are generally unknown to health care providers. While it is understood what neuroblastoma is, the exact causes have been unsuccessfully researched since the first case of neuroblastoma was detected. There are many studies and clinical trials currently being conducted in order to find out more about what exactly causes the disease. In a new fetus and once the human is born, there are many regular cells that grow and divide,

but these cells known when to stop growing. Cancer cells do not know when to stop, and continue to grow and divide at an uncontrollable rate. When there are many of these cells that do not know when to stop growing, they form a tumor. In every living being, there are undeveloped nerve cells that are called neuroblasts. The adrenal glands in a human are made up in part by neuroblasts, once they grow and develop into nerve cells and filaments that make up the glands. The process of neuroblasts growing into nerves is supposed to occur by the time the human is born. The neuroblasts that do not either grow into nerves and fibers, or just disappear, are the ones that become cancerous. In some cases neuroblastoma can be inherited. Mutations, or DNA that alters it's form, can cause neuroblastoma. Oncogenes are genes that increase the speed in which cells grow and divide. Tumor suppressor genes are genes that decrease the speed in which cells grow and divide. Many studies have suggested that patients with neuroblastoma are believed to have more oncogenes than normal, as well as tumor suppressor genes that do not act the same way they do in those who do not have neuroblastoma. While there is some information that suggests how and why certain cases of neuroblastoma start, health care providers, medical experts and researchers of the disease do not currently know exactly how the disease is caused. Current neuroblastoma research is very involved with finding answers to these questions.

Symptoms: Neuroblastoma symptoms are mainly caused by the cancer cells, or the tumor, putting pressure on tissue that surrounds them while growth is occurring. While some of the neuroblastoma symptoms are unique, they can be due to a different infection or disease. Therefore, if any of the neuroblastoma symptoms occur, patients should be seen by a doctor as soon as possible. There are many symptoms of neuroblastoma that are common, while other symptoms may be more uncommon to certain patients. The types and amount of symptoms depend on how advanced the cancer is. Common neuroblastoma symptoms:

An abnormal cluster appearing on the skin above the abdomen area, neck or above the stomach. Some lumps may be painful, while others are not. Appendage of the eyes, which usually results in pain in the eyes and surrounding skin. Aches and/or discomfort in the bones. In newborns, it is common for neuroblastoma patients to feel pain and tenderness in the stomach, which can make it hard for the patient to breath.Some neuroblastoma patients have reported the inability to move certain organs of the body.

Uncommon symptoms of neuroblastoma that have been reported: Since the stress of some symptoms is much more intense on an infant's body than a grownadult, the neuroblastoma patient will commonly obtain a raised body temperature. Excessive tiredness. Since an infant's, or young child's skin and muscles are not as strong as a fully developed human's, it make it easier for a neuroblastoma patient to bruise and draw blood. Neuroblastoma patients often have a raised blood pressure, which is most likely due to the high amount of stress that the body is experiencing. Extremely wet and non-solid bowel movements. This is probably due to the pain and discomfort that often occurs in a neuroblastoma patient's stomach. A less commonly reported symptom is the compulsive and uncontrollable movement of certain muscles. Unintended, or undesired, movement of the eyes.Tenderness growth in certain muscles and organs below the waist

Neuroblastoma Diagnosis: A neuroblastoma diagnosis is obtained by detecting the disease through various methods of screening. Once neuroblastoma is positively identified, the health care provider can determine what stage the cancer is in and how aggressive it is and may become. If a child is experiencing common symptoms of neuroblastoma, it is important that they undergo neuroblastoma screening. Many of the common symptoms of neuroblastoma can also be symptoms of other infection and diseases, that are usually less severe.

Urine Test: The most commonly used method of neuroblastoma screening is a urine test. Neuroblastoma cancer cells release vanillyl mandellic acid, or VMA. Therefore, if vanillyl mandellic acid is found in the patient's urine, then they most likely have neuroblastoma. Also, if the patient has a higher then normal level of catecholamines in their blood or urine, nine times out of ten, that indicates that they have neuroblastoma. If these chemicals are present in the patient's urine, the health care provider will usually call for further testing, as opposed to diagnosing neuroblastoma based on the urine or blood tests alone.

Imaging Tests: MRI and CT scans are commonly used to detect neuroblastoma. These types of scans provide health care providers with detailed images of inside the patient's body. The CT scan uses X ray technology to produce internal images of the body. The MRI scan works by sending radio waves into the patient and magnets are used to produce images of the patient's body. If neuroblastoma cancer exists in the patients, either the MRI scan or CT scan will clearly show this. Many times an ultrasound is used to detect neuroblastoma. The ultrasound uses a transducer, which is a tool that can convert a certain type of energy into a different form of energy. The transducer sends out sound waves, which bounce off of organs in the body, and as a result, it produces live images. These live images are viewed on the screen that is attached to the ultrasound machine.

Biopsy: A most important method used in neuroblastoma diagnosis is a biopsy. A biopsy can be conducted with bone marrow or lymph nodes. In either case, a sample of either bone marrow or lymph nodes are surgically removed from the patient. The sample is then examined under a microscope where the health care provider can determine whether or not there are any abnormalities present. Another way to detect neuroblastoma is to administer a chemical known as metaiodobenzylguanidine, intravenously into the patient. One full day after the drug is put into the patient's body, the level of the chemical is checked. If there is a low level of the chemical, that most likely indicates that the neuroblastoma cancer cells have absorbed it, which means that the patient has neuroblastoma. The next part of the neuroblastoma diagnosis is to stage the cancer. Neuroblastoma is usually identified by one of the four main stages (Stage 1-4). However, for neuroblastoma patients that are under the age of one year old, there is a stage called 4S (S is for special) which is designated for unique forms of neuroblastoma cancer.
Once neuroblastoma is identified and the stage of the cancer is determined, the disease is categorized. A local resectable case of neuroblastoma means that the cancer is small, has not grown from where it originated, and can be surgically removed. A localized unresectable case of neuroblastoma means that the cancer is still where it originated, but can not be removed through surgery. A regional case of the disease indicates that it has grown into the nearby lymph system and close by organs and tissue. However, at this point, metastasis has not yet occurred. Once neuroblastoma has been positively detected and the stage or category of the disease has been determined, a proper diagnosis can be given. The diagnosis will inform the patient of their situation in regards to have advanced their case of cancer is.

Neuroblastoma Survival Rate: All statistics regarding neuroblastoma survival rates such be taken with a grain of salt. Like most cancers, the disease is difficult to predict, in terms of growth and aggressiveness. However, neuroblastoma is one of the most unpredictable types of cancer. There have been many cases of this disease where it has stopped growing on it's own and has also grown rapidly on it's own as well. While the general neuroblastoma survival rate is usually high, factors that influence the neuroblastoma survival rate include when the disease is detected, what stage the disease is in, the aggressiveness of the cancer, the age of the patient and their medical history. Since neuroblastoma only occurs in fetuses and children up to ten years of age, there is usually not much of a medical history that affects the neuroblastoma rate. However, many babies can be born with inherited genes that make them prone to certain physical weaknesses and strengths.

It can also be very challenging to determine and identify whether a cancer exists or not, and how advanced the cancer is without using certain screening methods because in many cases, the child is not able to speak. Therefore, the patient can not communicate what symptoms he or she feels. This greatly affects the neuroblastoma survival rate. If a woman feels a lump on one of their breasts or feels common symptoms of breast cancer, they will know to go to their health care provider to get screened for breast cancer. Since all neuroblastoma patients are very young, if they feel common symptoms of neuroblastoma, they can not translate what they are feeling into words. This causes many cases of Neuroblastoma to go undetected for long periods of time, making it harder for health care providers to treat the disease successfully. The Neuroblastoma survival rate mainly depends on what stage the disease is detected. If the disease is detected in the first stage, nine out of ten cases can be treated successfully, regardless of the patient's age. About three out of four patients are able to be cured from the disease if it is detected during the second stage of the disease. However, stage does play a role in the survival rate during the second stage. About half of patients older than the age of one can be cured from Neuroblastoma if it is detected during the third stage of the disease. If the disease is detected during either stage four or 4S, and the patient is under one year old, their is a 50/50 chance that they will survive. However, if the patient is older than one year old, then their chances of survival are dramatically reduced to about ten to forty percent.

There are many factors that play a role in the Neuroblastoma survival rate. This is why statistics of the survival rate are estimated and are not as black and white as statistics of other diseases.