Research progress on radiotherapy and radiation-associated adverse effects of high-risk neuroblastoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

ABSTRACT

High-risk neuroblastoma (NB) is highly aggressive and has poor prognosis. Treatment of NB mainly includes comprehensive therapies, of which radiotherapy serves as a part of consolidation therapy. For patients who receive complete resection of the primary lesion, usually an irradiation dose of 21-23.4 Gy is given; for patients with incomplete resection, further study focused on radiation dose is necessary. Recurrence is most commonly observed in the bone lesions involved at presentation. Currently, the principle of irradiation to the metastatic sites is to treat lesions where metaio-dobenzylguanidine (MIBG) uptake remains positive after induction chemotherapy, or those become negative uptake but still at high risk of recurrence. On the premise of lacking of MIBG imaging, positron emission tomography CT (PET-CT) may assist in screening for metastatic sites requiring irradiation. The late side effects of radiotherapy are mainly mild musculoskeletal abnormalities. No significant increase is observed in the incidence of second primary tumor during short-term follow-up.