Combining stem cell transplantation and immunotherapy could be the key to improving treatments for one of the deadliest forms of childhood cancer: neuroblastoma.
The challenge: Neuroblastoma is a rare form of childhood cancer, with only about 700 cases reported in the US each year. However, it remains the most common cancer among infants. It also has one of the lowest survival rates for all pediatric cancers, and in total, it accounts for roughly 15% of all childhood cancer deaths.
Neuroblastoma tumors most commonly develop in the adrenal glands, located on top of each kidney and are part of the sympathetic nervous system. When kids develop high-risk neuroblastoma tumors that spread throughout the body, conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation often fail, leaving these children with a survival rate of just 15%.
Source: Replacing the immune system can boost cancer survival
Most Commented