Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is one of the most common childhood cancers worldwide causing approximately 10% of all pediatric cancer deaths [1–5]. More than 98% of all diagnosed cases are sporadic in nature and the average age at the time of diagnosis is 1–2 years. Over 50% of adolescent patients show metastasis of tumors at the time of diagnosis leading to poor survival [2, 6, 7]. The prognosis depends heavily on the disease stage [8]. In 2014, the overall incidence of pediatric neuroblastoma in USA was 7% making it the third most common type of childhood cancer [7]. The incidence rates of patients up to 19 years old from 2006–2010 were 8.5% for boys and 7.6% for girls, and 5.2%, 9.7%, 6.8% and 5.9% for Hispanic, non-Hispanic (white), non-Hispanic (black) and Asian/Pacific Islander patients, respectively [7]. A population-based study in Netherlands spanning a 25-year period (1990–2014) revealed a 1.6% annual increase in the total incidence of NB since 1990, particularly in patients aged ≥18 months with stage 4 disease along with an improved overall survival from 6 ± 4% (1990–1994) to 43 ± 7% (2010–2014) [9].