NEUROBLASTOMA IS A CANCER of newly developing cells in the sympathetic nervous system (described below). The average age at diagnosis is around 2 years old. Most children are diagnosed before the age of 5, and diagnosis is rare after age 10. Although neuroblastomas can develop anywhere in the sympathetic nervous system, from the neck to the pelvis, more than half of these cancers originate in an adrenal gland in the abdomen. Symptoms of this disease vary depending on the location of the primary tumor.

First, this chapter looks at the structure and function of the sympathetic nervous system. Then it describes who gets neuroblastoma, what the signs and symptoms are, how it is diagnosed, and how doctors determine the prognosis. The chapter ends with a discussion about the newest treatment options.