Neuroblastoma in Children Under 12 Months in Singapore—15-Year Experience and Outcomes From KKH

Abstract

Background: Expectant observation of small adrenal lesions has shown promising results in recent studies. We present our 15 years outcome of managing infant neuroblastoma. Methods: All patients with neuroblastoma below the age of 1 year treated at the largest pediatric hospital in Singapore between 1998 and 2012 were identified. Results: Twenty-two patients were included in our study. Six were antenatally diagnosed. Nineteen (86%) patients had surgical resection of the tumor. Eight (36%) patients received chemotherapy as part of their treatment. Six patients were observed three of which had large adrenal tumors. Median follow-up in our series was 2.6 years. The 5 year overall survival was 90%. There were no recurrences and there were 2 deaths in our series. Conclusion: Our series shows excellent outcomes of infant neuroblastoma at our center. Careful observation of large tumors may be an option to avoid the morbidity of surgery.