A neuroblastoma is a malignant (cancerous) tumour, which develops in the nerve cells that run in a chain down the back of the chest and abdomen. The commonest place for this tumour to develop is in a gland just above one of the kidneys called the adrenal gland, but it can occur anywhere along the sympathetic chain.
Less than 100 children develop neuroblastoma in the UK each year. It is most common in children under the age of five and is slightly more common in boys than girls. There is no known cause of neuroblastoma. There is no genetic tendency, nor is there any increased risk for brothers or sisters.
What are the signs and symptoms?
Neuroblastoma can present in many different ways, but usually it presents as a lump in the tummy.
Other symptoms include:
- Poor appetite
- Weight loss
- Lethargy
- Constipation
- Difficulty passing urine
- Bruising around the eyes
- Breathlessness
- Leg weakness.