Prognostic value of different staging systems in neuroblastomas and completeness of tumour excision

Two hundred and fifty three patients were retrospectively assigned to eight different staging systems proposed for neuroblastomas, and the prognostic value of each staging system was evaluated individually. The ability of each system to predict prognosis was compared with the others and the system proposed by Evans et al found to be the best predictor, even better than the recently proposed Tumour-Nodes-Metastases staging system. This is probably due to the fact that factors other than the resectability of the tumour play a major role in the survival of these children. Age was found to have independent prognostic significance whatever staging system was used.