Neuroblastoma Treatment

The main advantage of neuroblastoma treatment in Israelis its innovative diagnostic techniques in order to identify the disease at the earliest stages of the pre-clinical stage.

At the “Herzliya Medical Center” private hospital, leading Israeli specialists boast extensive experience in the treatment of cancer at any level of complexity. Neuroblastoma is cancer that emerges in the cells of the nervous system. Neuroblastoma is often localized in the retroperitoneal region and around the adrenal gland.

However, this type of abnormal growth can also develop in other abdominal areas, as well as in the sternum, near the neck and spine.
Neuroblastoma in children occurs most often in infants and young children although there are rare incidences among older children.
Some forms of neuroblastoma may regress turning into a benign disease, others may require extensive treatment.

Neuroblastoma Symptoms

Clinical signs and symptoms of neuroblastoma will vary depending on the tumor.

The most common abdominal (in the area of the peritoneum) form of the disease can cause a number of the following clinical manifestations:

Abdominal pain
Development, palpation palpable tumors in the abdominal area
Dysfunction of the bowel, diarrhea or constipation
Lower extremity edema

With the development of neuroblastoma in the thoracic spine the following symptoms may show:

Hoarseness
Chest pain
Persistent cough

Among other clinical manifestations that can indicate the presence of neuroblastoma the following violations may be found:

Development of nodules under the skin
Exophthalmos
The occurrence of back pain and bone
Temperature rise
Unexplained loss of body weight
Increase in blood pressure
Tachycardia

Neuroblastoma Diagnosis in Israel

Diagnosis of neuroblastoma in Israel typically includes procedures and tests as listed below:

Physical medical examination.Medical examination in order to detect signs of the disease.
Blood or urine may be used to check the level of catecholamines increase, a characteristic in neuroblastoma. Tests of computer visualization, such as x-ray, ultrasound, CT, MRI can detect the presence of a tumor and its location.
Biopsy. Upon detection of tumors, a biopsy may be required. During the procedure, tissue samples for further laboratory testing may be required; from this research, it is possible to find out what type of cancer cells are present in the tumor development. This information helps your doctor to develop an individual treatment plan.

A bone marrow biopsy

In some cases, there is a need to obtain a bone marrow sample using a biopsy or bone marrow aspiration.
After the diagnosis of neuroblastoma further studies is assigned to determine the extent and incidence of cancer.

Neuroblastoma Treatment Options in Israel

When choosing a treatment plan, a few factors are taken into account: the stage of development and the type of cancer, the presence of chromosomal and genetic disorders.
Based on this information, specialists classify the severity of neuroblastoma as follows: low, medium or high risk. The strategy and the choice of therapy treatments for neuroblastoma in Israel depend on the assigned risk category.

Neuroblastoma Surgery in Israel

For patients with neuroblastoma classified as a low degree of severity, surgery may be sufficient to remove the tumor.
The success of the surgery depends on the location of cancer and its size. The procedure for removal of tumors located near vital organs such as the lungs or the spinal cord may become too risky.
Neuroblastoma (classified as middle-and high-risk) surgery may also require to apply other treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, to complete the destruction of the remaining possible cancer cells after surgery.

Chemotherapy for Neuroblastoma

Young patients with a diagnosis of “neuroblastoma” at medium risk receive the combination of chemotherapeutic agents prior to surgery in order to reduce tumor size, to improve the chances of the surgical treatment.
Children with high-risk neuroblastoma receive higher doses of chemotherapeutic agents prior to surgery or transplantation of stem cells bone marrow.

Radiotherapy

For patients with low and medium risk neuroblastoma: if surgery and chemotherapy were not sufficient, effective radiation therapy is conducted. In patients with high-risk neuroblastoma, preventive courses of radiation therapy are conducted in order to prevent a recurrence.

Stem Cell Transplantation

Autologous (patient using cells) stem cell transplantation is also carried out to patients with neuroblastoma. Before stem cell transplantation, the patient is treated with high doses of chemo and radiation in order to destroy as many cancer cells as possible. The main purpose of the procedure is to assist in the formation of new blood cells after intensive courses of chemo and radiotherapy.