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CC BY 4.0 · Avicenna J Med 2025; 15(01): 001-008
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1807243
Original Article

Exploring Pediatric Neuroblastoma: A Comprehensive Analysis of Adrenal and Nonadrenal Tumor Characteristics in the United States

Ghaith AlWawi 
1   Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
,
Mohammad Omar Alrefai
2   Department of Nephrology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States
,
Mohd Zaki Al-Wawi
3   Department of Pediatrics, Shaikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
,
Asma Qasim
4   Department of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
,
M. Bakri Hammami
5   Department of Hematology and Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida, United States
6   USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida, United States
› Institutsangaben
Funding None
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Abstract

Background and Purpose

Neuroblastoma (NB) is an aggressive malignant tumor arising from a primitive neural crest origin. While the significance of tumor location in survival outcomes is recognized, it remains inadequately explored. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the survival and characteristics of pediatric adrenal and nonadrenal NBs in the United States.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of pediatric primary NB between 1975 and 2016 was conducted using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to determine prognostic variables.

Results

A total of 4,554 patients were included, comprising 52% males (n = 2,385) and 79.2% Caucasians (n = 3,569). The median age of the patients was one year (range: 0–19 years). In all, 44.4% (n = 1,996) of the patients had adrenal NB and 55.6% (n = 2,496) patients had nonadrenal NB. Adrenal NB was significantly more prevalent among males and those presenting at a younger age (p < 0.001). Adrenal NB was more likely to have a higher grade and distant metastasis at diagnosis (p < 0.001). Nonadrenal NB, female sex, surgical resection, and later year of diagnosis were associated with improved survival (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

This study highlights important factors that are helpful for prognostication of NB patients in the United States. Tailored approaches considering tumor site are crucial for effective management of NB.

Keywords

neuroblastoma - adrenal - nonadrenal - survival outcomes - prognostic factors - population-based study - pediatric oncology

Ethics Approval

Ethical approval was not required as this is a retrospective study using de-identified data from a public access database.


Authors' Contributions

G.E.A. and M.O.A. contributed to the conception and design of the study, acquisition and analysis of data, and drafting the manuscript and tables. Z.E.A. and A.Q. contributed to acquisition and analysis of data and revision of manuscript. M.B.H. contributed to the conception and design of the study, acquisition and analysis of data, revision of manuscript, and study supervision


Availability of Data and Material

The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program at https://seer.cancer.gov.


Consent for Participation and Publication

Consent was not required as this is a retrospective study using de-identified data from a public access database.




Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
02. April 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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