Solid tumors
Neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma is a cancer of immature sympathetic nerve cells, often arising in or near an adrenal gland. Its behavior ranges from tumors that can regress to high-risk metastatic disease, so treatment is strongly risk-adapted.
Other names and abbreviations
high-risk neuroblastoma · NB · neuroblastic tumor · Neuroblastic tumour · peripheral neuroblastic tumour
Where transplant fits
For eligible children with high-risk neuroblastoma, high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue is an established part of multimodal treatment. It may involve more than one planned autologous procedure. The graft uses the child’s collected cells; a registry donor is not normally needed.
Treatment depends on the exact diagnosis, disease stage, prior treatment and the person’s health. These categories are not estimates of donor demand.
Treatment at a glance
- Who it affects
- Neuroblastoma mainly affects infants and young children.
- Other treatment options
- Lower-risk disease may be observed or treated with surgery and/or chemotherapy. High-risk treatment commonly includes induction chemotherapy, surgery, high-dose consolidation, radiation, anti-GD2 immunotherapy and differentiation therapy.
- Cells used for transplantation
- The patient’s own collected blood-forming cells for autologous stem cell rescue, when that procedure is appropriate.
How a transplant using your own cells works
Questions to bring to your care team
What is the exact diagnosis or subtype? What is the goal of each treatment option? If transplant is being considered, why does it fit this situation, which cells would be used and what are the alternatives?
Sources and further reading
- Neuroblastoma Treatment (PDQ)
NCI · Accessed 2026-09-05 - Indications for haematopoietic cell transplantation and CAR-T: 2025 EBMT practice recommendations
EBMT / Bone Marrow Transplantation · Accessed 2026-09-05 - Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Transplants for Cancer
NCI · Accessed 2026-09-05
Understanding can become action.
Some patients need a blood stem cell donor. Others receive different treatment. Wherever your interest began, you can help JBF reach more people who may be able to donate.
Explore the official registry serving where you live. It explains who can join, how registration works and what donation involves.
Find your official registryIf joining is not right for you, a gift to the Jada Bascom Foundation supports education, outreach and referrals to official registries.
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