Condition Lookup

Neuroblastoma

Specialty: Oncology

Category: Sarcomas

Symptoms:
abdominal mass; pain; fever; weight loss; bone pain; bulging eyes; high blood pressure

Root Cause:
Cancer originating in nerve tissue, most commonly in the adrenal glands, sympathetic nervous system, or nerve tissue along the neck, chest, abdomen, or pelvis.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Imaging (CT, MRI, ultrasound), biopsy, urine tests for catecholamine metabolites (VMA, HVA), bone marrow aspiration.

Treatment:
Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, stem cell transplant.

Medications:
Chemotherapy drugs like cyclophosphamide , vincristine , doxorubicin , and cisplatin ; Immunotherapy drugs such as dinutuximab (Unituxin ); Pain medications such as acetaminophen or opioids for severe pain.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects approximately 1 in 100,000 children; accounts for 6-10% of pediatric cancers.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic mutations (e.g., MYCN amplification), family history, certain congenital conditions like Hirschsprung disease.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Depends on the stage at diagnosis, age of the child, and response to treatment. The survival rate is approximately 70-80% for low-risk cases but significantly lower for high-risk cases.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Tumor metastasis, organ dysfunction, hearing loss, developmental delays, long-term effects from chemotherapy and radiation.

Retinoblastoma

Specialty: Oncology

Category: Sarcomas

Sub-category: Pediatric Cancers

Symptoms:
white or red eye reflex (leukocoria); strabismus; vision problems; eye pain; swelling around the eye

Root Cause:
Malignant tumor that arises from the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Eye examination, fundus photography, ultrasound, MRI, genetic testing for RB1 gene mutations.

Treatment:
Surgery (enucleation), chemotherapy, laser therapy, cryotherapy, radiation therapy, intra-arterial chemotherapy.

Medications:
Chemotherapy agents like carboplatin , vincristine , etoposide ; medications for pain management or to control side effects.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Occurs in about 1 in 15,000 live births, with approximately 300 cases per year in the U.S.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Family history of retinoblastoma, RB1 gene mutations (inherited or spontaneous).

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
High survival rate if diagnosed early; 95% survival for unilateral, localized cases; poor prognosis for metastatic disease.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Vision loss, metastasis (rare), secondary cancers later in life due to radiation or chemotherapy.

Germ Cell Tumors

Specialty: Oncology

Category: Sarcomas

Sub-category: Pediatric Cancers

Symptoms:
abdominal pain; swelling; mass or lump; difficulty breathing; chest pain

Root Cause:
Tumors originating from germ cells (cells that give rise to sperm and eggs) in the gonads or extragonadal sites.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Imaging (CT, MRI, ultrasound), biopsy, blood tests (e.g., for tumor markers like AFP, hCG).

Treatment:
Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy.

Medications:
Chemotherapy drugs such as cisplatin , etoposide , bleomycin .

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Relatively rare, but germ cell tumors are the most common type of ovarian and testicular cancer in children.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic syndromes, prior gonadal surgery.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Generally good prognosis with surgery and chemotherapy, particularly for localized tumors.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Recurrence, infertility, long-term effects of treatment.

Ewing Sarcoma

Specialty: Oncology

Category: Sarcomas

Sub-category: Pediatric Cancers

Symptoms:
bone pain; swelling; fever; fatigue; weight loss

Root Cause:
A type of bone cancer that most often affects the long bones, pelvis, and chest wall.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
X-rays, CT scans, MRI, biopsy, bone scans.

Treatment:
Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy.

Medications:
Chemotherapy agents such as vincristine , doxorubicin , cyclophosphamide , ifosfamide , etoposide .

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Ewing sarcoma is rare, accounting for about 1-2% of childhood cancers.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic mutations, family history.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Survival rates range from 70% for localized disease to lower rates for metastatic disease.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Tumor recurrence, long-term effects from chemotherapy and radiation, organ damage.

Wilms Tumor

Specialty: Oncology

Category: Sarcomas

Sub-category: Pediatric Cancers

Symptoms:
abdominal mass; abdominal pain; fever; blood in urine; high blood pressure; poor appetite; weight loss

Root Cause:
A type of kidney cancer that primarily affects children, usually involving one kidney, but can occasionally involve both.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, biopsy, blood and urine tests.

Treatment:
Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy.

Medications:
Chemotherapy agents like vincristine , actinomycin D, and doxorubicin ; pain relievers such as ibuprofen or morphine for post-surgical pain management.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Occurs in about 7-10% of childhood cancers, with around 500 cases diagnosed annually in the U.S.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic conditions like WAGR syndrome, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, or Li-Fraumeni syndrome.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
90% survival rate in localized cases; survival rates decrease in cases with metastasis.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Recurrence, kidney damage, long-term effects from chemotherapy or radiation, high blood pressure.

Rhabdomyosarcoma

Specialty: Oncology

Category: Sarcomas

Sub-category: Pediatric Cancers

Symptoms:
painless mass or swelling; pain at the site of tumor; difficulty swallowing or breathing; eye bulging or changes in vision

Root Cause:
A cancer of the muscle tissue, often occurring in areas such as the head, neck, bladder, or limbs.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Imaging (CT, MRI, ultrasound), biopsy, blood tests, bone marrow aspiration.

Treatment:
Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy.

Medications:
Chemotherapy drugs such as vincristine , cyclophosphamide , doxorubicin , ifosfamide , etoposide ; pain management medications.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Around 4 cases per million children per year.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic syndromes (e.g., Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome), previous radiation exposure.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
The survival rate varies based on the stage, location, and histology of the tumor, ranging from 60% to 80% for localized disease.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Tumor recurrence, organ dysfunction, long-term side effects from treatments.

Medulloblastoma

Specialty: Oncology

Category: Sarcomas

Sub-category: Pediatric Cancers

Symptoms:
headaches; vomiting; balance problems; vision problems; personality changes; clumsiness

Root Cause:
Malignant tumor in the cerebellum (part of the brain), which affects balance, motor control, and coordination.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
MRI, CT scan, biopsy, cerebrospinal fluid analysis.

Treatment:
Surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy.

Medications:
Chemotherapy drugs like cisplatin , vincristine , cyclophosphamide , carboplatin ; corticosteroids for swelling.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Accounts for 20% of all brain tumors in children, with around 350 cases annually in the U.S.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic conditions (e.g., Gorlin syndrome), prior radiation exposure.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Survival rate is about 70% for localized cases, but much lower for metastatic disease.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Neurological impairments, growth problems, cognitive and motor deficits, secondary cancers due to radiation.

Pediatric Leukemias

Specialty: Oncology

Category: Sarcomas

Sub-category: Pediatric Cancers

Symptoms:
fatigue; fever; paleness; bone or joint pain; bleeding or bruising; infections

Root Cause:
Abnormal proliferation of white blood cells in the bone marrow and blood, leading to impaired blood cell production.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Blood tests, bone marrow biopsy, lumbar puncture, flow cytometry.

Treatment:
Chemotherapy, stem cell transplant, radiation therapy, targeted therapy.

Medications:
Chemotherapy drugs such as methotrexate , vincristine , prednisone , cytarabine ; targeted agents like imatinib for certain types.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
The most common cancer in children, with about 3,500 new cases of leukemia in children under 15 in the U.S. annually.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic conditions (e.g., Down syndrome), family history, environmental exposures (e.g., radiation).

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
High cure rates for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), with survival rates over 90% for low-risk cases; acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) has a more variable prognosis.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Infections, bleeding, organ damage, secondary cancers due to chemotherapy or radiation.

Pediatric Lymphomas

Specialty: Oncology

Category: Sarcomas

Sub-category: Pediatric Cancers

Symptoms:
swollen lymph nodes; fever; night sweats; weight loss; fatigue; itching

Root Cause:
Cancer of the lymphatic system; can be either Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Lymph node biopsy, imaging (CT, PET, MRI), blood tests.

Treatment:
Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, stem cell transplant.

Medications:
Chemotherapy agents like doxorubicin , vincristine , cyclophosphamide , etoposide ; targeted therapies like rituximab .

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Lymphomas make up 5-7% of all pediatric cancers.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic syndromes, compromised immune system, Epstein-Barr virus infection (for HL).

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
High cure rates for Hodgkin lymphoma (over 90% for localized disease), while non-Hodgkin lymphoma prognosis depends on subtype and staging.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Secondary cancers, organ damage from treatment, fertility issues, infections.