Molecular biology of neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is one of the most frequently occurring solid tumours in children, especially in the first year of life, when it accounts for 50% of all tumours. It is the second most common cause of death in children, only preceded by accidents. The most peculiar characteristic of neuroblastoma is its clinical heterogeneity. Approximately half of the cases are classified as high risk, with overall survival rates around 40% despite intensive multimodal therapy. Nevertheless, other subsets of neuroblastomas will undergo spontaneous regression and others will show very slow progression. Despite many advances in the past three decades, neuroblastoma has remained an enigmatic challenge to clinical and basic scientists. Elucidation of the exact molecular pathways of neuroblastoma will enable researchers and clinicians to stratify the disease and adapt therapy to the risk of relapse or progression. This review focuses on recent advances in our understanding of the biology of this complex paediatric tumour. Neuroblastoma is already one of the first examples for the use of tumoral genetic markers as a tool for defining tumour behaviour and to aid clinical staging.