The ACS reports that neuroblastoma is the third most common type of cancer in children. Of the estimated 8,600 childhood cancers that will be diagnosed during 2000, approximately 7.5 percent will be neuroblastomas. The disease affects one out of 80,000 to 100,000 children under the age of 15. There are approximately 550 new cases of neuroblastoma each year. Overall, between 7 and 10 percent of all childhood cancers are neuroblastomas.
Boys are somewhat more likely to develop the disease than girls.
Nearly 90 percent of cases are diagnosed by age 6. Around one-third of cases are diagnosed by the first year. In rare cases, neuroblastoma can be detected by ultrasound even before birth. When detected early, neuroblastomas can usually be treated effectively. He is a calm, quiet boy who takes pain and doesn't complain.