Recurring neuroblastomas account for nearly 10 percent of childhood cancers and nearly 15 percent of childhood cancer deaths. Neuroblastomas can also affect adults, but less than 10 percent of cancer cases of this kind occur in people over the age of 5. The cancer spawns from the sympathetic nervous system of the body, which is a subdivision of the autonomic nervous system. The SNS transmits information and coded date from the brain to the rest of the body. Recurring neuroblastoma lumps usually begin in the adrenal gland, which regulates the production of adrenaline. From that gland, lumps spread throughout nervous system tissues in the body, including the tissues in the neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis.
Chemotheraphy
Chemotherapy is used to treat almost all types of cancers, including recurring neroblastomas. During chemotherapy, chemicals are introduced to the human body. These chemicals attack cells. The drawback is that the chemicals do not distinguish between the good cells in the body and the cancer cells. So, chemotherapy kills good body cells alongside the cancer cells. Rapidly replicating cancer cells are the intended targets of chemotherapy. Major side effects of this treatment include decreased blood cell production, balding or hair loss and digestive issues.
Surgery
Sometimes, recurring neuroblastomas can be removed from the body using surgery. If doctors are able to pinpoint where the cancer is attacking the body, they can go into a patient and remove the cells before the cancer spreads. Surgery does not mean all cancer cells are removed, but the doctors can remove the lumps of cells that are gathered in the tissue in the hopes of slowing down the rapid replication and spread of cancer cells.
Radiation
Radiation treatments are also used to combat recurring neuroblastomas. During radiation treatments, doctors aim ionized radiation beams at pieces or lumps of cancer cells in the hopes of dissolving the cell lumps and stopping the rapid regeneration and spread of the cells throughout the body. Radiation treatments are used more for disease and cancer spread control than anything else. This type of treatment is often used to prepare patients for stem-cell or bone-marrow treatments. After cancer enters remission, radiation therapy is also used to help the body cope with the dying cancer cells.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is used to treat recurring neuroblastomas by mimicking the human body's immune system. This type of treatment tries to toss the body's immune system into attack mode and target the regenerating cancer cells that are lumping together. Immunotherapy is non-invasive, and since neuroblastoma occurs mainly in children, this type of treatment is very common. Immunotherapy depends on T-cells in the body to target the cancer cells and react to destroy them. Sometimes, doctors will insert T-cells directly into the lumps or tumors of neuroblastomas to speed up the intended process.
Stem-Cell Treatments
Commonly referred to as a bone-marrow transplant, stem-cell transplants are when doctors remove cells from bone marrow inside of human bones and insert those cells into the bone marrow of a cancer patient in the hopes the patient's body will begin to replicate. The bone-marrow donor must be compatible with the patient so the grafts will take. Medical professionals do extensive tests to find potential, compatible donors. Usually, bone marrow can be transplanted by a member of the patient's family.
Tags: cancer cells, bone marrow, nervous system, recurring neuroblastomas, type treatment, also used