According to Bright Surf, a recent study has led researchers to believe that children with neuroblastoma are at a higher risk of developing long-term psychological impairment.
Neuroblastoma is a rare form of cancer that develops from immature cells in the nerve tissue and most commonly affects children who are less than five years old. The cancer begins in the neuroblasts. In neuroblastoma, there is a genetic mutation in these immature nerve cells. Neuroblasts typically mature by birth or disappear, but in some cases, like in the case of neuroblastoma, a tumor is formed. Some signs and symptoms of neuroblastoma include bulging eyes, dark circles around the eyes, and the inability to move body parts. Treatment for the cancer depends on age of onset and stage. To read more about neuroblastoma, click here.
In order to study the long-term psychological impact of pediatric neuroblastoma as well as treatment, researchers from Yale University School of Medicine observed 859 kids with neuroblastoma. The children had to have been diagnosed five years prior to the study and also been under the age of 18.
Researchers led by Nina Kadan-Lottick, MD, MSPH found that the median diagnosis age among their group was 0.8 years and the children were followed for an average of 13.3 years. The 859 neuroblastoma survivors were then compared to 872 brothers or sisters of childhood cancer survivors.
The results were significant. Researchers found that the pediatric neuroblastoma survivors showed increased likelihood for developing anxiety/depression, antisocial behavior, peer conflict/social withdrawal, attention deficit disorders, and headstrong behavior.
In addition to these notable statistics, pediatric neuroblastoma survivors who also suffered from psychological impairment(s) also likely required special education or were told to not attend college.
“These findings are novel because this is the first large study that could look at how neuroblastoma patients are doing in terms of psychological and educational outcomes. Before recent advances in treatment, this survivor population was much smaller and we were not able to analyze these sorts of long-term outcomes,” elaborated Dr. Kadan-Lottick.
“The goal is not simply to get our patients to be cancer-free but also to optimize their mental, emotional, and social functioning as they move into adolescence and adulthood. Our hope is that these findings will help inform strategies for early screening and intervention to identify those survivors at highest risk for developing psychological and educational impairment later on in life,” she said.
Hopefully, this research will help change the way pediatric neuroblastoma patients are treated and help families and providers troubleshoot for things that may arise in the future. To read more about this research, click here.
