[Neuroblastoma: diagnosis, therapy and prognosis on the basis of 56 cases (author 's transl)]

Within the last 20 years 56 children with neuroblastoma were seen at the Paediatric Departments of the University Hospitals of Graz, Innsbruck and Vienna. Case histories, clinical details and diagnostic procedures are discussed. The poor prognosis (only 18 out of the 56 children i.e. 32% are still alive) is due to the high incidence of metastasis (55% of the patients were admitted in stage IV of the disease). Diagnosis within the first year of life, mediastinal localization and histological differentialtion to ganglioneuroblastoma are good prognostic features, whereas therapeutic measures are of less importance. Radical surgery still provides the patient with the best chance of survival, but is rarely feasible (complete primary removal was possible in only 7 out of the 56 patients; in futher 2 patients the tumour proved to be resectable at a 2nd look operation). Cytostatic therapy has not really increased the survival rate. At present improvement in prognosis can only be expected in case of early diagnosis of the tumour.