[Therapy of abdominal neuroblastoma in Essen]

Between 1980 and 1996, 74 children aged between 3 and 148 months were operated for neuroblastomas at the University Clinic Essen. A total of 44 patients had a neuroblastoma stage 4, 11 a stage 3, nine a stage 2, two a stage 1, and eight a stage 4s. If there was doubt about the possibility of a primary resection of the tumor, chemotherapy was carried out before surgery. This procedure enabled a complete local resection of the tumor in 46 children. In the postoperative course 29 children died, 25 of which presented tumor progress; four died of complications following bone marrow transplantation. Two children are currently being treated for tumor recurrence, while 43 have survived without tumor recurrence for 15 years. Complete tumor resection produced a better survival rate. If there is any doubt in the primary possibility of complete tumor resection a reduction of the tumor mass can be achieved by chemotherapy. This allows radical surgery can be achieved in significantly more cases.