Screening for cancer is examination (or testing) of people for early stages in the development of cancer even though they have no symptoms. Scientists have studied patterns of cancer in the population to learn which people are more likely to get certain types of cancer. They have also studied what things around us and what things we do in our lives may cause cancer. This information sometimes helps doctors recommend who should be screened for certain types of cancer, what types of screening tests people should have, and how often these tests should be done. Not all screening tests are helpful, and most have risks such as surgical complications from a biopsy or an operation after an abnormal screening test. For this reason, scientists at the National Cancer Institute are studying many screening tests to find out how useful they are and to determine the relative benefits and harms.

If your doctor suggests certain cancer screening tests as part of your health care plan, this does not mean he or she thinks you have cancer. Screening tests are done when you have no symptoms. Since decisions about screening can be difficult, you may want to discuss them with your doctor and ask questions about the potential benefits and risks of screening tests and whether they have been proven to decrease the risk of dying from cancer.

If your doctor suspects that you may have cancer, he or she will order certain tests to see whether you do. These are called diagnostic tests. Some tests are used for diagnostic purposes, but are not suitable for screening people who have no symptoms.

Purposes of this summary

The purposes of this summary on neuroblastoma screening are to:

—      Give information on neuroblastoma.

—      Describe neuroblastoma screening methods and what is known about their effectiveness.

You can talk to your doctor or health care professional about cancer screening and whether it would be likely to help you or your child.

Neuroblastoma Screening

Neuroblastoma is a cancer that primarily affects children. It begins in nerve tissue in the neck, chest, abdomen, or pelvis. It usually originates in the abdomen in the tissues of the adrenal gland. By the time it is diagnosed, the cancer often has spread, most commonly to the lymph nodes, liver, lungs, bones, and/or bone marrow.

Risk of neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is the most common type of cancer in infants. The number of new cases of neuroblastoma is greatest among children under 1 year of age and decreases rapidly with age. Males are affected slightly more commonly than females.

Anything that increases a person’s chance of developing a disease is called a risk factor. The risk factors for neuroblastoma have not yet been established.

Screening tests for neuroblastoma

Urine samples can be tested for the presence of specific chemicals that are excreted by most patients with neuroblastoma. Most cases of neuroblastoma are diagnosed before 6 months of age.

It is thought that many neuroblastomas are present and detectable at birth. Studies have suggested devising a once-in-a-lifetime screening test, such as those used for screening newborns for noncancerous conditions, such as phenylketonuria. At this time, however, there is no good scientific evidence showing that screening for neuroblastoma leads to a decrease in deaths from the disease.