New Research Points to Potential for More Targeted Treatments of Deadly Neuroblastoma Tumors in Children
Genetic variations appear to pre-dispose children to developing certain severe forms of neuroblastoma, according to new research by the University of Chicago Medicine. The findings lay the groundwork for developing more targeted treatments for particularly deadly variations of the cancer. Neuroblastoma affects about 1,000 children in the U.S. per year. Patients are placed into different risk categories for their disease. Each risk category determines the intensity of the treatment regimen and likelihood of a patient’s survival. Children in lower-risk categories experience a roughly 95 percent survival rate with minimal treatment. But, if a child is classified as high-risk, the survival rate falls to approximately 50 percent even with an aggressive treatment plan that includes high-dose chemotherapy, surgery, stem cell transplant, radiation and immunotherapy. One common indicator of high-risk cancer is if a child has extra copies (amplification) of a gene called MYCN (pronounced mick-N).
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Calendar/Courses
CARS 2018 Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery
June 20-23, 2018; Berlin, Germany
2018 New England Neurosurgical Society Annual Meeting
June 28-30, 2018; Chatham, MA
15th International Congress on Neuromuscular Diseases
July 6-10, 2018; Vienna
International Summer School Transnasal Endoscopic Surgery: From Sinuses to Skull Base
July 9-13, 2018; Brescia, Italy
7th Annual World Course in Advanced Brain Tumor Surgery
July 12-15, 2018; London
