Symptoms Of Neuroblastoma: First Signs When You Might Be Having Neuroblastoma
Last Updated: Jul 17, 2020
Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer that mostly affects infants and children below 5 years of age. The cancer cells are usually present in the adrenal glands but can also form in the chest, stomach, pelvis, bones and neck. The symptoms of this chronic disease include:
Swelling
The swelling in the legs can be seen which may lead to imbalanced movement of the body. Even the upper respiratory tract gets affected due to the swelling in the upper chest region. The neck also swells up which leads to a problem in swallowing of food or water and swelling in the face can also be commonly observed.
Enlarged belly
The belly gets enlarged leading to suffocation and uneven breathing pattern. Even a small amount of food intake will give the feeling of fullness. The swelling in the abdomen leads to sickness and overall mood swings. Mental health is also affected due to improper food habits.
Problems breathing or swallowing
It causes breathing problems as the respiratory system is affected by swelling in the chest and the swelling of the belly. The swelling also affects the body balance as lack of oxygen is there in the body.
Weight loss
The loss of appetite causes weight loss and the body becomes weak. Apart from this, drowsiness is felt all the time. The weight loss can also be related to the low intake of food.
Not eating or complaining about feeling full
The loss of appetite is one of the factors which leads to this symptom. Patients may also feel that their stomach is full and intake of food is not required by the body. This affects the overall health of the person and at the same time leads to weakness and weakening of bones.
Frequent urge to urinate
The frequency for urination increases as well as the bowel movement is affected. The person feels the urge to urinate every time and losses the control over the urinating tendency. The problem of bed-wetting is also observed in some cases.
Pain in bones
The weakness in the body leads to pain in the bones and the body demands more rest which leads to static growth and unbalanced body movement, apart from this, cramps are also felt due to bone issues.
Lumps or bumps in the skin that may appear blue
The skin becomes bluish and the lumps are observed in the body. The nerves become weak and the eyelids become drooping. The pupils become small which increase the pressure on the nervous system and the spine becomes weak. This especially happens if the tumour has been spread in the neck area.
References
- Keikhaei B, Pedram M, Popak B, Heidari M, Hadadi N, Samadi B. Signs and symptoms of Neuroblastoma. Journal of Medicine and Medical Science. 2012;3(4):243-6. [Cited 06 April 2020]. Available from:
- Castleberry RP. Biology and treatment of neuroblastoma. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 1997 Aug 1;44(4):919-37. [Cited 06 April 2020]. Available from:
- Winkler K. Paraneoplastic symptoms of neuroblastoma (author's transl). Monatsschrift fur Kinderheilkunde. 1976 Jun;124(6):527-32. [Cited 06 April 2020]. Available from:
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