Symptoms of neuroblastoma can vary, depending on the body part that was attacked. For example if the cancer is found in the chest, then the symptoms that can be felt by children such as chest pain, shortness of breath accompanied by wheezing, and changes in the eye (pupil size to be different and drooping eyelids). Whereas if neuroblastoma of the spinal cord, then the lower body can become weak, numb, or impaired movement.
Neuroblastoma can also attack the abdominal region. It is characterized by symptoms of abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal skin that feels hard when touched. In addition, neuroblastoma can also attack the neck which resulted in a bump in the section which can be seen as a bluish lump on the skin.
If the bone is affected, then the child can feel aches and pains in the bones, or even become difficult to walk. Meanwhile, if the bone marrow is hit, then the symptoms can include infection, pale or bruises on the skin, and bleeding.
Other symptoms of neuroblastoma are:
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
Just like other types of cancer, until now scientists have not been able to ascertain the causes which led raw nerve cells to mutate and develop into neuroblastoma. These cancers were related to environmental factors, genetics, and race.
Diagnosis of Neuroblastoma
In addition to conducting interviews and physical examination of the patient, the doctor will likely do some investigation to diagnose neuroblastoma. One is through blood and urine tests. A child neuroblatoma patients usually have high levels of catecholamine substance very high in his body. Through this test, the catecholamine excess can be known.
Other methods of neuroblastoma examination by scanning, for example, ultrasound, CT scan, and MRI scan. These procedures aim to see clumps of tumor in the body and whether the cancer has spread to other areas in the body.
In addition, doctors also may be doing the taking and testing samples of cancer cells in the laboratory (biopsy). Bone-marrow biopsy done if the doctor suspects a neuroblastoma had spread to the spinal cord.
The severity of neuroblastoma is divided four levels based on the spread. At the lowest severity (stage 1), the cancer has not spread, and only in one part. In stage 2, the cancer has not spread and can have the lymph nodes around. In stage 3, the cancer has begun to spread, but only until the local parts. While at the highest severity (stage 4), the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body.
Treatment of Neuroblastoma
There are three kinds of methods of treatment of neuroblastoma, ie through surgical removal of the tumor, chemotherapy (destruction of cancer cells using drugs) and radiotherapy (destruction of cancer cells with radiation).
The surgical procedure is generally applied to overcome the one-stage neuroblastoma. But if the tumor grows near vital organs, such as around the spinal cord or lungs, then the option to remove the entire tumor by surgery can be a dangerous thing to do. Instead, the handling should be done with chemotherapy or radiology.
For the handling of stage 2, the tumor will be shrunk prior to chemotherapy. After a smaller tumor size, surgical procedures can be done to remove them. The combination of these three methods of treatment are usually performed by doctors in neuroblastoma at stage 3 and 4. The operation will be performed first to remove as much tumor tissue, after which the remains can be destroyed by chemotherapy and radiology.
The amount of the dose of chemotherapy is given or the length of radiological irradiation process is performed on patients with neuroblastoma will depend on the severity of the disease itself. The higher the severity of neuroblastoma, the irradiation dose and will be intensified.
End Stadium in Infants Under One Year of Age
This is a special case of neuroblastoma for infants under one year of age who were diagnosed to late stage it is sometimes necessary to get cancer treatment and will heal by itself, though it was spread to other body parts. Experts do not know why be like this.
Complications Neuroblastoma
In the long term, neuroblastoma disease could potentially cause complications, including:hearing problems
- Impaired growth
- Heart disease
- Kidney illness
- sterility
- other cancers
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