In Situ Neuroblastoma: The Intriguing "Tumor" of Neuroectodermal Origin and the Putative Cancer Stem Cells

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Consolato M. Sergi, MD, PhD, FRCPC, FCAP

ABSTRACT


Neuroblastoma is the most prevalent solid tumor encountered outside of the central nervous system in infancy. It is considered an embryonal tumor arising from pluripotent sympathetic cells called neuroblasts with characteristic neurosecretory granules. They are positive for chromogranin A, and are double membrane bounded ultra-structurally. In rare occurrences, it can be identified at neonatal age or at very early infancy. In situ labelling of neuroblastoma has been used, but there is a remarkable controversy around it, because most of these clusters of neuroblastic cells do not exhibit a neoplastic potential. These clusters often regress, and these pediatric patients should not receive chemotherapy. This chapter reviews the challenges of this tumor and report on the heterogeneity of this kind of pediatric neoplasm with a focus on putative cancer stem cells.

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Section
Chapter 7