Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is the most common extra-cranial solid cancer in infants ranging from ages 5 or lower with a reported incidence of about 650 million cases a year in the US and 100 million in the UK. It develops from within immature nerve cells in several points throughout the body. Neuroblastoma literal translation is " Nerve cells with undifferentiated embryonic cells and having little to no connective tissue." The causes for its development are unknown but the diagnosis is very simple since there are obvious differences between affected cells and healthy cells. The disease is not fatal unless untreated or agitated in some way, since very few cases simply exit the body without causing problems. Symptoms include lumps in the abdomen, neck, and chest. Bulging eyes, "black" eyes, bone pain, weakness or paralysis of a body part, and in infants, alongside these, swollen stomachs and blush lumps under the skin are also possible symptoms. There are no known cures but any basic cancer treatment will help greatly in removing the infected cells. Known research/ support groups are St. Judes Childrens Research Hospital, Children's Cancer Research Fund, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.