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Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma Treatment in Delhi, India

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Overview

Neuroblastoma is a cancer that occurs during childhood. In most of the cases, neuroblastoma is diagnosed in children with age up to 5 years.

Most often, it has been observed that neuroblastoma starts to occur around the adrenal glands that consist of cells as similar to nerve cells. But, it can also be found in places where the nerve cells are cluttered.

What Are the Symptoms of Neuroblastoma?

If Neuroblastma occurs in the child’s abdomen, it may display the following symptoms:

  • Stomach pain and feeling bloated which will eventually lead to weight loss
  • Lumps in the belly
  • Legs will be swollen
  • Swelling in the scrotum

There are chances that it might occur in the cheek or neck. In that case:

  • The child would face a severe headache and dizziness most of the time
  • Face, neck, chest and arms would be swollen
  • There will be a lot of trouble while coughing, breathing or swallowing
  • Eyelids would start drooping, and the pupil would become unequal in size

Apart from these symptoms, there are various other symptoms which should be looked out for. During neuroblastoma, one might have enlarged lymph nodes in areas like armpits, groin or neck. Also, severe pain in bones can also be there at the beginning of neuroblastoma.

What Are the Causes of Neuroblastoma?

Generally, cancer occurs when the cells start to multiply uncontrollably in the human body, which is also known as mutation. But, in neuroblastoma, these mutations occur in the immature nerve cells of a fetus. Those cells are known as neuroblasts. Along with the growth of the baby in the womb, these cells keep growing along, turning into functioning nerve cells.

In babies who are born healthy, these mutations disappear with the maturity of the nervous system. But the ones who are born with this condition, the neuroblasts continue to grow, forming a tumor.

What Are the Treatment Options for Neuroblastoma?

The treatment for neuroblastoma is initiated after taking various factors into consideration such as the stage of cancer, age and location of the tumor. As per these factors, the type of treatment is determined further. Following are the types of treatment that are suggested for neuroblastoma:

  • Surgery: Surgery is the most common type of treatment in which the tumor is removed from the affected area. It is done in cases where the tumor is diagnosed at an early stage.
  • Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is done when the disease has reached to an advanced stage usually stage III & IV and the tumor has become risky to be removed via surgery. In this process, various anti-cancer drugs and medicines are injected into the body. Through injection, these drugs flow throughout the bloodstreams, destroying the present cancer cells. Although chemotherapy is effective, but there are side-effects that can be seen during or after the treatment. These side-effects include hair and weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fever and more.
  • Radiation Therapy: In radiation therapy, high-energy rays or particles are used to kill cancer cells. In most of the cases, radiation therapy becomes quite important. Because of long term SE it is reserved.
  • Stem Cell Transplant: In cases where the child is at an increasingly advanced stage, stem cell transplant is the process that is done by the doctors. After chemotherapy and radiation therapy is done, the frozen stem cells are collected and transfused in the body which further kills the cancerous cells.

Life after Neuroblastoma

In most cases, many children diagnosed with neuroblastoma survive after the treatment. But most of the families remain afraid of the long-term and short-term side-effects of the treatment. Therefore, the doctors always suggest for regular follow-ups for a long time, even for a lifetime in some cases.

 

Follow-up Care for Neuroblastoma

In all types of cancer, recurrence is the main thing that scares every cancer survivor. Even after going through so many treatments, cancer cells still find a way back for some people. This is the reason why follow-up care after the treatment should not be avoided. There are many physical tests including MRIs and other check-ups that are done on a regular basis, to check for the recurrence of cancer.

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