Mass screening for neuroblastoma targeting children age 14 months in Sapporo City: a preliminary report.
BACKGROUND
In Sapporo City a mass screening program for neuroblastoma targeting children age 6 months (6-MS) was initially introduced in 1981. Since April 1991, an additional program has been implemented, aimed at children age 14 months (14-MS).


METHODS
High performance liquid chromatography was employed in the 14-MS. Identification of cases was dependent on the Registry of Childhood Malignancies in the Hokkaido Prefecture.


RESULTS
Of the 85,783 live births in Sapporo City during the period 1990-1994, a total of 56,444 participated in the 14-MS (compliance rate, 65.8%). By the end of 1996, of 48,448 children who had previously taken part in the 6-MS, 6 cases were identified in the 14-MS, and 1 additional case screened negative but was later diagnosed clinically. Two more cases were detected in the 14-MS among the 7996 children who had not participated in the 6-MS. Though the incidence of cases identified by the 14-MS was much higher than expected, several true-positive cases had unfavorable histology (as defined by Shimada's classification), a high dopamine level, and/or a high homovanillic acid/vanillylmandelic acid ratio.


CONCLUSIONS
Mass screening of children age 14 months for neuroblastoma detects cases missed or unscreened at age 6 months, though the detection rate appears to be in excess of what would be expected from natural incidence.
Nishi
M
M
Department of Public Health, Sapporo Medical University, Japan.
Miyake
H
H
Takeda
T
T
Hanai
J
J
Kikuchi
Y
Y
Hirama
T
T
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004298:Dopamine / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy / Q000652:urine; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D014642:Vanilmandelic Acid / Q000652:urine
D014642:Vanilmandelic Acid; D004298:Dopamine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid