Treatment of neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma is a difficult diagnosis, but curable. Even at the last stage, it can be treated in 50% of cases. If lymphoma is diagnosed at the first stage, the prognosis of doctors is optimistic – 100% of patients completely get rid of the tumor and any of its consequences. It is important to start treatment immediately.
What is neuroblastoma?
Neuroblastoma is a tumor. Always malignant. Cancer that affects the sympathetic nervous system. It can be located in different parts of the body, but most often affects cells in the abdominal cavity, chest or adrenal glands.
Neuroblastoma is an undifferentiated tumor. It consists of small round cells with dark-colored spotted nuclei.
Most often affects children and adolescents – in 99% of cases it is diagnosed in patients under 15 years of age. The average age of patients with this disease is 2 years, sometimes it can be congenital.
The features of this tumor are: the likelihood of spontaneous regression: it can spontaneously increase and give large metastases; aggressive development; in extremely rare cases, it can transform into a benign tumor.
Types of neuroblastomas
- Stage 1 – a single tumor, the size of which does not exceed 5 centimeters, no metastases, lymph nodes are not enlarged;
- Stage 2 – a single tumor 5-10 centimeters in size, no metastases, no lymph node lesions;
- Stage 3 – a tumor up to 5 centimeters or more than 5 centimeters (up to 10), but metastases appear;
- Stage 4 – a single or multiple tumor, with the appearance of metastases and lymph node lesions.
Get A Second Opinion
Fill out the form and receive a free consultation on the recommended type of treatment in your case.
[contact-form-7 id=”2064″ title=”For articles (treatment)”]
Symptoms and diagnostics
At the first stages of tumor development, there are practically no symptoms. At later stages, fatigue, lethargy, loss of appetite appear, which is accompanied by nausea and vomiting, which leads to sudden weight loss. Abdominal pain appears, it increases in size and bloating is observed, constipation or, conversely, diarrhea may occur. Joint pain, fever, and anemia may be observed. Lymph nodes and liver may also increase in size.
Suspicion of neuroblastoma is usually diagnosed by a pediatrician after an external examination and study of complaints.
To confirm the diagnosis, diagnostic procedures are prescribed:
1) Laboratory tests. Blood and urine tests can show the presence of tumor markers – catecholamines, dopamine, homovanillic and vanillylmandelic. Their amount is also taken into account when developing a treatment method.
2) Study of ultrasound images, PET-CT, CT, MRI. Ultrasound allows you to see tumors, determine their exact location and size. MRI allows you to examine micro tumors, determine whether they have affected the blood and lymphatic vessels. Sometimes CT is done instead of MRI, its purpose is exactly the same. Images also allow you to identify other diseases – perhaps we are not talking about neuroblastoma, but about pheochromocytoma, Wilms tumor. The type of study is prescribed by the doctor according to the indications.
3) Study of tissue samples – biopsy. Allows you to evaluate the tumor and helps to make a treatment plan and prognosis.
4) Studies of the presence of metastases. As a rule, the MIBG scintigraphy method is used for this. If there are not enough cancer cells in the bone marrow, a bone puncture or trepanobiopsy is performed. These procedures are performed under anesthesia. Metastases in the brain are detected using MRI.
5) Additional research aimed at assessing the general health of the child. Before starting a course of chemotherapy, the heart function is checked (electro- and echocardiogram), kidney function (ultrasound), and hearing organs (audiometry). This is necessary to exclude possible risks during treatment. An X-ray of the hand is also done, by which the doctor can determine how the child is growing.
During the treatment of neuroblastoma, repeated studies can be carried out, which are compared with the initial ones and determine the effectiveness of the treatment and can adjust its program.
You have received a diagnosis. What’s next?
The first thing you should do is stop panicking, pull yourself together and start fighting for your life.
Treatment must be started as quickly as possible. There is no time to think. The longer the patient thinks, the larger the tumor grows, and it is more difficult and expensive to remove.
First of all, it is necessary to undergo all additional tests and conduct diagnostics. And immediately contact an oncologist who will develop a treatment plan, select the most effective treatment methods for your case and begin treatment.
Treatment of Neuroblastoma. Methods
There are various treatment methods used for neuroblastoma:
- chemotherapy
- radiation therapy
- surgical removal of the tumor;
- bone marrow transplant (read more)
Surgery is usually performed in a traditional way, but sometimes laparoscopy is possible.
Additional treatment methods may include MIBG therapy (using radioactive iodine), chemotherapy in very high doses, retinoic acid.
High-dose chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant are used only at stage 4 of the disease.
Surgery is usually performed traditionally, but laparoscopy is sometimes possible.
Additional treatments may include MIBG therapy (using radioactive iodine), high-dose chemotherapy, and retinoic acid.
High-dose chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation are used only at stage 4 of the disease.
Neuroblastoma Treatment Plan
In each case, the treatment plan and the choice of methods are made individually, depending on the characteristics of the tumor, its size, the presence of metastases. According to standardized protocols that are used worldwide for treatment, a risk-adapted treatment program is used, which takes into account the risk factors that affect the prognosis of the disease.
The main factors are:
- the size of the tumor, its spread to other organs, the presence of metastases
- molecular and genetic characteristics of the tumor – how quickly it grows, metastasizes; are checked in dynamics
- age, his health condition.
Based on these factors, three risk groups for patients are distinguished.
For each group, there are standard tumor treatment programs. But once again, we emphasize that in each specific case, the doctor makes an individual plan.
Treatment of neuroblastoma in Turkey. What do you need to know?
When treating neuroblastoma, the most important thing is time, which is limited, and the experience of doctors. In the countries of the former CIS, unfortunately, there is little such experience. And sometimes not all technologies are available to doctors.
Therefore, contacting a foreign clinic is a reasonable option.
What should you do to start urgent treatment of neuroblastoma in a foreign clinic?
- Leave a free-form application on the website, the mandatory points of which are a description of the problem (diagnosis, preferably – the most detailed description) and a contact phone number;
- Our medical coordinator will contact you, with whom you will discuss all the technical and medical nuances;
- We will ask you to provide all medical documents, test results, images, doctor’s conclusion;
- After that, all your documents will be sent to the clinics. Doctors will analyze your case and provide treatment options and costs. This consultation is free;
- Then you yourself choose the clinic in which you would like to undergo treatment
Today, Türkiye occupies one of the leading places in the world in the treatment of such a complex diagnosis.
Treatment costs
It is quite difficult to predict the exact cost of treatment in advance – it depends on too many factors. The cost is always named before arrival, but the final price of treatment is announced after a personal appointment with the professor you have chosen. After all, only after a personal face-to-face consultation can the doctor accurately determine the treatment plan.
The price of treatment for neuroblastoma is influenced, first of all, by treatment methods, which depend on the tumor itself – whether surgery is needed, how many courses of chemotherapy will be required, whether radiation therapy will be needed, or a bone marrow transplant. Naturally, it is simply impossible to determine the average cost of treatment without seeing your documents.
A stay at the clinic is usually included in the price, as well as a transfer from the airport and, of course, an interpreter, who will be provided to you for the entire period of treatment.
Usually, prices in Türkiye are 2 times lower than in Germany and 60% lower than prices in Israeli clinics. Treatment for neuroblastoma starts from several thousand dollars. Then everything is very individual. Turkish clinics offer the most affordable prices for the treatment of neuroblastoma without loss of quality.
Leave a request on the website, and we will definitely contact you!
Maybe you were looking for something different?
All patients have different unique requests. Write to us and we will find a solution to your problem
Select
Why do patients choose Türkiye for treatment?
Today, more and more patients from Europe, Asia and the former CIS countries are traveling to Türkiye for treatment. In recent years, Türkiye has been among the TOP 3 leading countries in international tourism in many destinations.
Modern technologies
Modern equipment and advanced diagnostic methods allow us to detect diseases at early stages with maximum accuracy and provide the most effective treatment.
Qualified professors
The entire composition of professors with whom we collaborate has passed international accreditation. Doctors have experience working in the largest medical centers in the world.
Price-quality ratio
Türkiye is actively fighting with Israel and Germany for leadership in international tourism. Here you can get high quality treatment at lower prices without hidden fees.
Comfort is very important
Individual approach and quality of service – this is what distinguishes Türkiye from other countries. The main task of clinics is to create the best conditions for physical and emotional treatment.
Principle of operation
Organizing treatment in Turkey is quite simple when you know exactly who to contact and how to make a choice with a variety of offers and options.
We will help you find individual offers.
The final choice is always yours
You leave a request
We, understanding your specifics and wishes, submit requests to clinics.
We find a solution
After receiving the answers, we select the best options taking into account the pricing policy, the qualifications of specialists and your
requirements.
We plan the arrival together
After you decide on a clinic, we strive to negotiate a discount, organize consultations and accommodation for you.
We are in touch
Upon arrival, we are always in touch 24/7, providing assistance in any matters, without distracting you from treatment.