Newborn screening for neuroblastoma.
Following favorable reports of infant screening for neuroblastoma, mass screening was introduced throughout Japan in 1985. Since then, reports from Japan, North America, and Europe have all confirmed that screening is associated with substantial overdiagnosis. Recent reports from both Japan and North America suggest that screening at under 1 year of age does not reduce the incidence of disease in older children or of advanced stage disease and is therefore likely to confer little survival advantage. Current screening studies in Europe are investigating the effects of screening in older children (10 to 14 months) in an attempt to reduce overdiagnosis. The effect of screening on mortality remains unknown. Mortality from neuroblastoma in Japan is falling, but most of the fall predates the possible effect of screening. Longer follow-up of the North American study and the recently implemented German study may eventually provide an answer.
Parker
L
L
University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Sir James Spence Institute of Child Health, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016019:Survival Analysis