[Neuroblastoma: paraneoplastic diseases and late complications (author's transl)]

Abstract

Only 40 out of 104 patients with neuroblastoma survived moronger than 5 years, and 7 longer than 10 years. This indicates a 2 year remission period of 38.4%. Of the 40 surviving children, only 11 (10,4%) showed no further complications, while 29 (72,5%) children suffered from severe later complications originating from the tumor or the therapy. The skeletal system was affected in 42.9%, the peripheral nervous system in 21.5%, and the central nervous system in 19.6%. In 4 patients, we observed a statomotoric retardation and intelligence deficiency, and in 3 other children, an Australian antigenemia. The possible reason of these later complications are discussed in the paper. The high number of such complications in patients with neuroblastoma raises the question whether or not a less radical therapeutic procedure would be more advisable for differentiated tumors.