Advances in the surgical treatment of neuroblastoma: a review

Neuroblastoma prognosis varies tremendously based on the stage and biologic features of the tumor. Treatment varies depending on the risk group and can range from surgery alone for stage 1 tumors to aggressive multimodality treatment for MYCN-amplified tumors. Although surgery plays a role in the diagnosis and management of all stages of neuroblastoma, the importance of that role, especially the extent of resection, in high-risk neuroblastoma continues to evolve. In the past five years, there have been several advances in neuroblastoma surgery. Studies have demonstrated that patients with low-risk disease can be treated with surgery alone, and in a subset of patients who are neonatally diagnosed with adrenal tumors, surgery can be avoided in 80%. Recent abstracts have supported a role for >90% resection of the primary tumor in high-risk patients. This article also reviews the surgical approaches to difficult thoracic and abdominal tumors, as well as the role for minimally invasive surgery in the management of localized neuroblastoma.