The short answer
Neuroblastoma is a cancer that forms in immature nerve cells and is most often found in infants and young children. It usually begins in the adrenal glands or nerve tissue near the spine. Treatment depends on the child's risk group.
Neuroblastoma forms in immature (developing) nerve cells called neuroblasts.
It is one of the most common cancers in infants and usually affects children under age 5.
It often starts in the adrenal glands but can begin in nerve tissue near the spine, chest, or abdomen.
Children are placed in low-, intermediate-, or high-risk groups that guide treatment.
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The full explanation.
The simple version
Neuroblastoma is a cancer that forms in very early nerve cells left over from a baby's development. It is most often found in infants and young children, usually under age 5. It frequently begins in the adrenal glands near the kidneys.
Where it starts
Neuroblastoma most often begins in the adrenal glands. It can also start in nerve tissue along the spine, in the chest, neck, or belly. Because of that, symptoms vary a lot depending on where the tumor sits.
Signs parents notice
Signs depend on where the tumor is. NCI lists these as reasons to have a child checked:
- A lump in the belly, neck, or chest.
- Bone pain.
- Bulging eyes, or dark circles around the eyes.
- Weakness or trouble moving part of the body.
- A swollen belly with trouble breathing, in babies.
- Bruising or bleeding more easily than usual.
Risk groups
Doctors sort neuroblastoma into low-, intermediate-, or high-risk groups. They use the child's age, the tumor's biology, and how far it has spread. The risk group is the main thing that guides treatment.
How it is treated
Some low-risk tumors are simply watched. In some babies up to 6 months old, neuroblastoma goes away without treatment. Doctors call that spontaneous regression, and the child is watched closely in case signs appear. Other tumors are removed with surgery.
Intermediate- and high-risk disease may need more. Options include chemotherapy, radiation, high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue, iodine 131-MIBG therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Your child's team will explain the plan for their risk group. Low-risk and intermediate-risk neuroblastoma have a good chance of being cured. High-risk disease is harder to treat.
The child's risk group is the main factor that shapes neuroblastoma treatment.
When to get help sooner
During treatment, ask the team for their own "call now" list. In general:
- Call 911 or go to an emergency department if your child has trouble breathing, will not wake up, has a seizure, or is bleeding and it does not stop with pressure.
- Call the oncology team straight away, at any hour, if your child's temperature reaches 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or if shaking chills set in. CDC calls fever during chemotherapy a medical emergency, because a child with low white cells can become very unwell within hours. If you cannot get through to them fast, take your child to an emergency department and tell the desk staff the child is having chemotherapy.
- Call the care team the same day if your child has new bruising or bleeding, or redness, swelling, or pus where a central line enters the skin.
- Call the care team within a day or two if your child has new or worsening bone pain, new weakness or limping, a belly that looks more swollen, or is drinking much less than usual.
Families just starting can see Newly Diagnosed With Neuroblastoma. It has first-week questions about risk group, staging tests, and treatment planning.
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Common questions
What is neuroblastoma?
Neuroblastoma is a cancer that forms in immature nerve cells, called neuroblasts, that are left over from a baby's development. It is most common in infants and young children.
Where does it start?
It most often begins in the adrenal glands, which sit on top of the kidneys, but it can start in nerve tissue near the spine, in the chest, neck, or abdomen.
Who gets it?
It mainly affects young children, most under age 5, and is one of the most common cancers in infants.
How is it treated?
Treatment depends on the risk group. Some low-risk tumors are watched closely or removed with surgery, while higher-risk disease may need chemotherapy and other treatments.
What is a risk group?
Doctors combine the child's age, the tumor's features, and how far it has spread to sort neuroblastoma into low, intermediate, or high risk, which guides how intense treatment should be.
Questions to ask your doctor
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Last updated: 2026-08-18Next planned review: 2027-07-07
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How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and checked line by line against the sources listed on it. That confirms the sources support what the page says. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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