Incidental neuroblastoma.
The diagnosis of neuroblastoma in its early stage, especially in asymptomatic children, with the so-called incidentally diagnosed disease, may be associated with a good prognosis. The aim of this study is an attempt at analyzing this problem. Between 1 January 1993 and 30 April 1998, 40 children with newly diagnosed neuroblastoma started therapy at the authors' department. The disease was diagnosed incidentally in 5 (12.5%) patients. In no incidentally diagnosed child was stage IV disease detected, while in the remaining patients its incidence was 71%. All the children (median age 2 months) with incidental diagnosis have remained alive (median 39 months) in continuous remission without treatment. Among 35 children (median age 2 years and 7 months) with overt neuroblastoma, 18 died (median survival time 14.5 months). Seventeen patients have remained alive (median 45 months). The results show that children with incidentally diagnosed neuroblastoma are characterized by a more favorable prognosis than children with clinical disease.
Armata
J
J
Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Polish-American Children's Hospital, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
Dłuniewska
A
A
Garus
K
K
Balwierz
W
W
Mieyński
W
W
Hnatko-Kołacz
M
M
D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012074:Remission Induction; D015996:Survival Rate