What is occult neuroblastoma?

What are the initial signs of this condition ( in a small child) and what does it progress to later in life? What type of test is done to determine it ? Is it treatable?

ACOR has some excellent information for parents about this disease. And, yes, the disease is treatable and there are long term survivors (30 years). As with the majority of cancer, the early the stage and diagnosis the easier it is to treat curatively. It is the advanced stages that are the most difficult, but they too are treatable.

http://www.acor.org/ped-onc/diseases/neu...

Neuroblastoma is a disease of the nervous system that manifests in the abdomen or around the spinal cord in the chest, neck, or pelvis. An early symptom of the disease called opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome is an uncontrollable eye movement, although not all children with this type of eye movement will have neuroblastoma. When a child presents with this type of symptom than the disease may be referred to as occult neuroblastoma.

This is an unusual and rare tumor of infancy in which spontaneous remission is possible. Children under the age of one years old have an almost 90 percent chance of cure.

There is screening available but it questionable about whether it is useful or not. Early diagnosis however produces a higher survival rate. Advanced disease has a poor prognosis.

The difficulties with the disease is when child is older than two years old. The tumor progressess as the child ages, if there is no spontaneous remission by this time than treatment is necessary.

National Cancer Institute: Neuroblastoma Treatment Guideline
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/t...

You might want to contact support groups to find out what the lastest treatments are for neuroblastoma or just to talk to other parents. Advances in medicine continue especially for children with cancer. http://www.curesearch.org/

ACOR: The Neuroblastoma (Cancer) Online Support Group
http://listserv.acor.org/archives/n-blas...

CancerBackup: Neuroblastoma in Children
http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Cancertyp...

Neuroblastoma Childrens Cancer Society
http://www.neuroblastomacancer.org/

Neuroblastoma Kids - please respect their privacy
http://www.acor.org/ped-onc/hp/neuropage...

Best wishes and if this is happening to your family than research and read as much as you can about the disease.

An occult neuroblastoma is a nerve tumor that cannot be readily found. In some cases it goes away by itself, but in others it becomes malignant.

The symptoms include rapid eye movements that aren't connected or rapid movement of the limbs. Crying is a common symptom as well since the average age of onset is only two.

Standard treatment for the disease is poor. You might ask the doctor if they know of any cases where the patient was cured, and watch the doctor's eyes when he answers.

The first patient I met when writing my book was a neuroblastoma patient and her parents. She had a tumor the size of a grapefruit with a six-foot tentacle coming out of it that wrapped around her spine.

Her doctors had estimated at that point that she had maybe another three weeks to live.

At that point, her parents took her to the doctor who cures cancer. She was out of pain in a week.

In nine months her tumor had shrunk to the size of a golf ball. The tentacle was no longer active.

Unfortunately, the chemo she had gotten previously had damaged her kidneys so bad that her electrolytes were gravely disturbed. The doctors had not advised the parents about this.

One day, Issy's father gained access to the medical records and confronted the doctors about it. One of the doctors told him that they didn't think he would understand.

As a result of her kidney damage, Issy would go into comas. Issy finally lost her battle.

I also had Stage 4 cancer, and cured it in two weeks with hot peppers and garlic. I also took a tablespoon of mint flavored cod liver oil each day. Twin Lab makes it in orange and lemon flavor, too.

You might want to substitute ginger for the peppers.

They should be grated each day and put on bread covered in butter.

Or you might use Floressence tea. The ingredients in the tea were used by Indians in Canada with great success for curing cancer. President Kennedy's personal physician became an advocate for it.

If you decide to use Floressence, I'd also take the cod liver oil along with it. If there is weight loss or fluid retention, I'd substitute evening primrose oil for the cod liver oil.

Good luck and be well.

Kelley

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a really nasty disease. Symptoms can include unexplained fevers, vomiting, sore limbs (especially legs), swollen lymph nodes, swollen eyes, and fatigue. 50% of people diagnosed with NB are age two or younger.

Urine screenings are common to determine it but since it is a realitively rare disease screening is not mandatory in the US.

Treatment can consist of surgery, chemo, radiation theropy.

Children under two have a decent rate of survival. The problem with NB is relapse is very common and when it does occur, there is no cure. Treatment after that is usually just to prolong life. However, this is not to say it is not possible to over come this disease.