Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 11, 2025
Establishment of Orthotopic Patient-derived Xenograft Models for Brain Tumors using a Stereotaxic Device
Published on: May 2, 2025
Surgical management in pediatric neuroblastoma diagnosis and treatment: a 20-year, single-center experience
Brianna Spencer1, Akshilkumar Patel2, Robert Cilley3,2,4
1Department of Surgery, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA. brianna.lynne.spencer@gmail.com.
Background:
The currently utilized International Neuroblastoma Risk Group (INRG) staging system developed in 2009 uses image-defined risk factors as a measure of surgical risk, separating resectable neuroblastoma from those best preceded by chemotherapy. The previous International Neuroblastoma Staging System was based primarily on surgical findings. We hypothesized there would be a change to the role of the surgeon in neuroblastoma treatment in the more recent decade.
Methods:
This is a single center 20-year retrospective analysis of 104 patients with International Classification of Diseases-9 and -10 codes for neuroblastoma. Patient demographics, tumor site, cancer treatment modality, survival, biopsy technique, surgical intervention, and pathology staging were collected. Data was analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Student's t test.
Results:
There was a decrease in open surgeries for extra-adrenal neuroblastomas in the later decade (77%, 31%, P = 0.01). There was a narrowing of the time interval to surgery in the later cohort, likely as a result of uniformity in surgical timing on treatment protocols relying on INRG staging.
Conclusions:
Our findings mirror changes in practice patterns globally. We found an increase in minimally invasive approaches but did not find a difference in the role of the surgeon under the INRG staging system.
