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Neuroblastoma, a common pediatric cancer, is characterized by diverse clinical behaviors. Some tumors undergo spontaneous regression or maturation, whereas others progress relentlessly despite intensive multimodal treatment. Although neuroblastoma usually occurs sporadically, family history is present in 1% to 2% of cases. Interestingly, considerable heterogeneity is observed in both familial cases and sporadic cases: A number of clinical and biological prognostic factors have been identified during the past 30 years, and, to a large extent, outcomes can be predicted accurately by stage of disease, age of the patient at diagnosis, and presence or absence of specific genetic aberrations in tumor cells.
Despite advances in the molecular charac…