A five-year review of children with neuroblastoma at Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

Background Neuroblastoma is the third most common tumor in children, after leukemia and retinoblastoma. The disease presents with a wide range of symptoms. Objective To assess the clinical profiles of children with neuroblastoma at Dr. Sardjito General Hospital from 2012-2016. Methods A retrospective review of all children with neuroblastoma under 18 years of age in the Children’s Ward of Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta from 2012-2016. Patients diagnosed and treated in other hospitals were excluded. Data were taken from the Yogyakarta Pediatric Cancer Registry (YPCR) and medical records. Outcomes were assessed by patient status: alive, died, or lost to follow-up. Results A total of 40 subjects were included in this study. Six (15.0%) patients were diagnosed at <1 year of age, 26 (65.0%) patients at 1 to <5 years of age, 6 (15.0%) patients at 5 to <10 years of age, and 2 (5.0%) patients at ≥10 years of age. The male to female ratio was 1.5:1. Four (10.0%) patients had stage IV-S, 34 (85.0 %) patients had stage IV, and 2 (5.0 %) patients had stage II/III of the disease. Proptosis (40.0%) and abdominal mass (35.0%) were the most common chief complaints. Eight (20.0%) patients were alive at the end of observation, 15 (37.5%) died, and 17 (42.5%) were lost to follow-up. The deaths were mostly caused by sepsis. Conclusion Most patients are  diagnosed at the age of 1 to <5 years, with a median age of 3 years. Proptosis is  the most common chief complaint. Most patients present in stage IV. Overall survival rate is very low. The high numbers of lost to follow-up should be noted.