Definition

Noun: A neuroblastoma is a malignant (cancerous) tumor that develops from immature nerve cells, called neuroblasts. This type of cancer typically originates in the adrenal glands or in nerve tissue along the spine, chest, abdomen, or neck. It is known for its aggressive nature and tendency to spread (metastasize) rapidly to other parts of the body.

Usage Examples

• The pediatric oncologist diagnosed the child with neuroblastoma after reviewing the biopsy results.
• Neuroblastoma is one of the most common solid tumors found in early childhood.
• Research into new treatments for high-risk neuroblastoma is ongoing.

Advanced Usage

• Risk stratification: In medical contexts, neuroblastoma is often discussed in terms of risk groups (low, intermediate, high) based on the child's age, the tumor's characteristics, and its genetic features, which guide treatment intensity.
• Spontaneous regression: A unique aspect of some neuroblastoma cases, particularly in very young infants, is the potential for the tumor to disappear on its own without treatment.

Variants and Related Words

• Neuroblastic (adj): Pertaining to or resembling neuroblasts or neuroblastoma.
  • The pathologist identified the mass as a neuroblastic tumor.
• Ganglioneuroblastoma (n): A related tumor that contains both mature and immature nerve cells, with behavior intermediate between a benign ganglioneuroma and a malignant neuroblastoma.

Synonyms

• Malignant neuroblastic tumor
• Embryonal nerve cell tumor

(Note: As a specific medical term, there are very few direct synonyms. The term "neuroblastoma" is the precise and standard nomenclature.)

Related Phrases / Collocations

• High-risk neuroblastoma: Refers to aggressive forms of the disease that require intensive therapy.
• Neuroblastoma screening: Refers to tests, historically used in some regions, to try to detect the disease in infants before symptoms appear.
• Relapsed/Refractory neuroblastoma: Describes cancer that has returned after treatment or did not respond to initial therapy.

(Note: As a highly specific medical noun, "neuroblastoma" does not form phrasal verbs or idioms in common language.)

Noun

1. malignant tumor containing embryonic nerve cells; usually metastasizes quickly