A proposed staging for children with neuroblastoma.Children's cancer study group A

TLDR

Staging neuroblastoma is needed to estimate prognosis and compare therapeutic efficacy across comparable patient groups. The study proposes a clinical staging system for neuroblastoma and a set of investigations to support accurate staging. The authors defined the staging criteria and specified a list of diagnostic tests to implement the system. Applying the criteria to 100 children from previous studies showed the staging was practical and that short‑term survival data supported its prognostic value.

Abstract

A clinical staging of patients with neuroblastoma is proposed. Such staging is desirable to aid in estimating the prognosis and to be able to evaluate the efficacy of differing therapeutic regimens by analyzing results obtained in comparable groups of patients. That the suggested staging is practical is illustrated by the ease with which 100 children with neuroblastoma, entered in previous studies by Children's Cancer Study Group A, were staged using the criteria described. Short-term survival data of this small sample demonstrated, in addition, that the proposed staging appears to be of help in estimating the prognosis. Also proposed is a list of investigations which aid in accurate staging.