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Neuroblastomas are highly diverse in their behavior. Some will go away without any treatment, and others can be cured by surgery alone. But half of these tumors spread quickly to the bone and bone marrow and require one or more of the following treatments: chemotherapy, radiation therapy, stem cell transplantation, and immunotherapy. The right treatment for each child depends mainly on the child's age, the tumor's location, and where the tumor has spread to.
Surgery
Surgery is the oldest form of treatment for cancer. Most children with neuroblastoma will have surgery.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of chemicals or drugs to treat cancer. These drugs are swallowed or given through a vein. This type of treatment is systemic, which means that it reaches all areas of the body.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy works by getting the body's immune system (including white blood cells) to fight the cancer.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses a large amount of x-rays (high-energy particles or waves) to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy may be used to try to cure or control the disease. It can be used before surgery to shrink a tumor or after surgery to prevent the cancer from regrowing. In advanced cancer, radiation therapy may be used to treat symptoms that are caused by the cancer, such as pain.
Read about intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), a special radiation treatment that reduces long-term side effects in children.
Stem Cell or Bone Marrow Transplantation
Bone marrow is a fatty or spongy tissue found inside bones. The bone marrow in the hips, breastbone, skull, ribs, and spine contains stem cells. These bone marrow stem cells make blood, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Under certain conditions, bone marrow stem cells circulate in the bloodstream -- and a special machine can collect the stem cells from the blood. Stem cell transplants are used for some patients whose bone marrow, because of disease or treatment, no longer produces enough blood cells. Most stem cell transplants for neuroblastoma use the patients' own (autologous) stem cells.
