TREATMENT READING

Neuroblastoma, part 2

Source sections for this topic, with the original link and date. Patient and professional reading are labelled separately.

Not medical advice · Not a complete treatment or trial directory

Made by Triangle.

Selected text from the National Cancer Institute, with the original link and date. Made by Triangle. This page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Source topics may be broader than an individual diagnosis.

73 sections

For patients · Treatment Option Overview

Follow-up care may be needed.

Source: Neuroblastoma Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.

Source updated: October 23, 2024. Captured 2026-09-09.

As your child goes through treatment, they will have follow-up tests or check-ups. Some tests that were done to diagnose or stage the cancer may be repeated to see how well the treatment is working. Decisions about whether to continue, change, or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests.

Sources: diagnose · stage

Some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended. The results of these tests can show if your child's condition has changed or if the cancer has recurred (come back).

Follow-up care for children with neuroblastoma may include:

urine catecholamine studies

Sources: catecholamine

MIBG scan

Sources: MIBG scan

This page is made by Triangle. The reading above is selected source text, not a treatment recommendation, and it is not medical advice.

For patients

Treatment of Low-Risk Neuroblastoma

Source: Neuroblastoma Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.

Source updated: October 23, 2024. Captured 2026-09-09.

For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.

Sources: Treatment Option Overview

Treatment of newly diagnosed low-risk neuroblastoma may include:

Sources: diagnosed · neuroblastoma

surgery followed by observation

Sources: observation

observation alone for infants younger than 6 months who have small adrenal tumors or for infants who do not have signs or symptoms of neuroblastoma

Sources: adrenal · tumors · signs · symptoms

observation with biopsy for infants younger than age 1 year who have favorable histology and meet other low-risk criteria

Sources: biopsy · histology

chemotherapy with or without surgery, for children with symptoms or children whose tumor has continued to grow and cannot be removed by surgery

Sources: chemotherapy

chemotherapy, for certain patients

radiation therapy to treat tumors that are causing serious problems and do not respond quickly to chemotherapy or surgery

Sources: radiation therapy · respond

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.

Sources: clinical trial search · General information

For patients

Treatment of Intermediate-Risk Neuroblastoma

Source: Neuroblastoma Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.

Source updated: October 23, 2024. Captured 2026-09-09.

For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.

Sources: Treatment Option Overview

Treatment of newly diagnosed intermediate-risk neuroblastoma may include:

Sources: neuroblastoma

Chemotherapy for children with symptoms or to shrink a tumor that cannot be removed by surgery. Surgery may be done after chemotherapy.

Sources: Chemotherapy · symptoms · tumor

Surgery alone for infants.

Observation alone for infants.

Sources: Observation

Radiation therapy to treat tumors that have continued to grow during treatment with chemotherapy or tumors that cannot be removed by surgery and have continued to grow after treatment with chemotherapy.

Sources: Radiation therapy

Sources: clinical trial search · General information

For patients

Treatment of High-Risk Neuroblastoma

Source: Neuroblastoma Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.

Source updated: October 23, 2024. Captured 2026-09-09.

For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.

Sources: Treatment Option Overview

Children with newly diagnosed high-risk neuroblastoma usually receive treatment in three phases: induction, consolidation, and maintenance.

Sources: neuroblastoma · induction · consolidation · maintenance

Treatment during induction may include:

combination chemotherapy

Sources: combination chemotherapy

surgery

Treatment during consolidation may include:

two courses of high-dose combination chemotherapy followed by stem cell rescue

Sources: high-dose combination chemotherapy · stem cell rescue

radiation therapy

Sources: radiation therapy

Treatment during maintenance may include monoclonal antibody therapy (dinutuximab), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and isotretinoin.

Sources: monoclonal antibody · therapy · dinutuximab · granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor · isotretinoin

Treatment after maintenance may include eflornithine.

Sources: eflornithine

Sources: clinical trial search · General information

For patients

Treatment of Stage MS Neuroblastoma

Source: Neuroblastoma Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.

Source updated: October 23, 2024. Captured 2026-09-09.

For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.

Sources: Treatment Option Overview

There is no standard treatment for newly diagnosed stage MS, but treatment options include:

Sources: standard treatment · diagnosed

observation and supportive care for children who have favorable tumor biology and do not have signs or symptoms

Sources: observation · supportive care · tumor biology · signs · symptoms

chemotherapy, for children who have signs or symptoms, for very young infants, or for children with unfavorable tumor biology

Sources: chemotherapy

radiation therapy for children with neuroblastoma that has spread to the liver

Sources: radiation therapy · neuroblastoma · liver

Sources: clinical trial search · General information

For patients

Treatment of Recurrent Neuroblastoma

Source: Neuroblastoma Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.

Source updated: October 23, 2024. Captured 2026-09-09.

For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.

Sources: Treatment Option Overview

Patients First Treated for Low-Risk Neuroblastoma

Treatment for recurrent neuroblastoma that comes back in the area where the cancer first formed may include:

Sources: recurrent · neuroblastoma

surgery followed by observation or chemotherapy

Sources: observation · chemotherapy

chemotherapy that may be followed by surgery

Treatment for recurrent neuroblastoma that comes back in other parts of the body or that has not responded to treatment may include:

Sources: responded

observation

chemotherapy

surgery followed by chemotherapy

treatment as for newly diagnosed high-risk neuroblastoma, for children older than 18 months

Sources: newly diagnosed high-risk neuroblastoma

Patients First Treated for Intermediate-Risk Neuroblastoma

Treatment for recurrent neuroblastoma that comes back in the area where the cancer first formed may include:

Sources: recurrent · neuroblastoma

surgery that may be followed by chemotherapy

Sources: chemotherapy

radiation therapy for children whose disease has gotten worse after chemotherapy and second-look surgery

Sources: radiation therapy · second-look surgery

Treatment for recurrent neuroblastoma that comes back in other parts of the body may include:

treatment as for newly diagnosed high-risk neuroblastoma

Sources: newly diagnosed high-risk neuroblastoma

Patients First Treated for High-Risk Neuroblastoma

There is no standard treatment for recurrent neuroblastoma in patients first treated for high-risk neuroblastoma. Treatment may include:

Sources: standard treatment · recurrent · neuroblastoma

Combination chemotherapy with monoclonal antibody therapy (dinutuximab).

Sources: Combination chemotherapy · monoclonal antibody · dinutuximab

Iodine 131-MIBG therapy to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. It may be given alone or in combination with chemotherapy, or followed by stem cell rescue.

Sources: Iodine 131-MIBG · symptoms · quality of life · stem cell rescue

Chemotherapy.

Sources: Chemotherapy

A clinical trial of CAR T-cell therapy.

Sources: CAR T-cell therapy

Because there is no standard treatment, patients first treated for high-risk neuroblastoma may want to consider a clinical trial. Learn more about clinical trials at Clinical Trials Information for Patients and Caregivers.

Sources: clinical trial · Clinical Trials Information for Patients and Caregivers

Patients with Recurrent CNS Neuroblastoma

Treatment for neuroblastoma that recurs (comes back) in the central nervous system (CNS; brain and spinal cord) may include:

Sources: neuroblastoma · recurs · spinal cord

surgery to remove the tumor in the CNS followed by radiation therapy

Sources: radiation therapy

NCT06172296 · RECRUITING · phase3

Ganglioneuroblastoma, Nodular, Neuroblastoma

DANYELZA

Label date 2026-08-07

DANYELZA is indicated, in combination with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), for the treatment of pediatric patients 1 year of age and older and adult patients with relapsed or refractory high-risk neuroblastoma...

DailyMed label

iwilfin

Label date 2026-03-26

IWILFIN (eflornithine) is indicated to reduce the risk of relapse in adult and pediatric patients with high-risk neuroblastoma (HRNB) who have demonstrated at least a partial response to prior multiagent, multimodality therapy including...

DailyMed label

Unituxin

Label date 2026-07-06

Unituxin (dinutuximab) is indicated, in combination with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and 13-cis-retinoic acid (RA), for the treatment of pediatric patients with high-risk...

DailyMed label