title: Neuroblastoma in Europe: differences in the pattern of disease in the UK. SENSE. Study group for the Evaluation of Neuroblastoma Screening in Europe.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neuroblastoma is a major contributor to childhood cancer mortality, but its prognosis varies with age and stage of disease, and some tumours regress spontaneously. Urinary screening programmes or clinical examination may detect the disease before symptoms appear, but the benefit of early diagnosis is uncertain. We examined the incidence, pattern, and presentation of neuroblastoma in four European countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based incidence rates were derived for France, Austria, Germany, and the UK. Age, sex, and stage distribution were analysed by Mantel-Haenszel techniques and Poisson regression. The proportion of incidental diagnoses (cases without symptoms found at routine health checks or during investigation of other disorders) and mortality rates were also compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 1987 and 1991, 1672 cases of neuroblastoma were diagnosed in children under 15 years old (France, 624; Austria, 69; Germany, 493; UK, 486). Age-standardised annual incidence was significantly lower in the UK (10.1/million) than in France (12.5) and Germany (11.4). In the UK a deficit of low-stage disease in infants was accompanied by an excess of stage IV in older children. The UK had significantly fewer incidental diagnoses (8%) than Austria (27%) and Germany (34%). UK mortality rates were significantly higher than German or French rates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the UK, neuroblastoma diagnosis is delayed, possibly because of a less rigorous system of health checks for children. Although some overdiagnosis occurs in mainland Europe, our data suggest that in the UK some low-stage cases, undetected in infancy, may later present as advanced disease. This finding has implications for screening programmes and organisation of routine surveillance of infant health in the UK.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK. J.E.Powell@bham.ac.uk
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Estève
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Frappaz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Michaelis
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kerbl
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Mutz
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Stiller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012044:Regression Analysis; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology