GanglioneuroblastomaSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Ganglioneuroblastoma
View Main Condition: Neuroblastoma
Ganglioneuroblastoma is an intermediate tumor that arises from nerve tissues. An intermediate tumor is one that is between benign (slow-growing and unlikely to spread) and malignant (fast-growing, aggressive, and more likely to spread).
Ganglioneuroblastoma mostly occurs in children ages 2 to 4 years. The tumor affects boys and girls equally. It occurs rarely in adults. Tumors of the nervous system have different degrees of differentiation. This is based on how the tumor cells look under the microscope. It can predict whether or not they are likely to spread.
Benign tumors are less likely to spread. Malignant tumors are aggressive, grow quickly, and often spread. A ganglioneuroma is less malignant in nature. A neuroblastoma (occurring in children over 1 year old) is usually malignant.
A ganglioneuroblastoma may be only in one area or it may be widespread, but it is usually less aggressive than a neuroblastoma. The cause is unknown.
Most commonly, a lump can be felt in the abdomen with tenderness.
This tumor may also occur at other sites, including:
- Chest cavity
- Neck
- Legs
Depending on the type of tumor, treatment can involve surgery, and possibly chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Because these tumors are rare, they should be treated in a specialized center by experts who have experience with them.
Advocate Lutheran General Cancer Institute
Pamela Kaiser is a Hematologist and an Oncologist in Park Ridge, Illinois. Dr. Kaiser is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Ganglioneuroblastoma. Her top areas of expertise are Angiosarcoma, Breast Cancer, Paget Disease of the Breast, Inflammatory Breast Cancer, and Endoscopy.
Aurora Orthopedics
Nicholas Webber is an Orthopedics provider in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dr. Webber is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Ganglioneuroblastoma. His top areas of expertise are Osteoarthritis, Osteonecrosis, Rhabdomyosarcoma Embryonal, Hip Replacement, and Knee Replacement.
Aurora Orthopedics
Brent Witten is an Orthopedics provider in Grafton, Wisconsin. Dr. Witten is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Ganglioneuroblastoma. His top areas of expertise are Rhabdomyosarcoma Embryonal, Epithelioid Sarcoma, Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma, Mesenchymoma, and Hip Replacement.
More information and support for children with ganglioneuroblastoma and their families can be found at:
- Children's Oncology Group -- www.childrensoncologygroup.org
- The Neuroblastoma Children's Cancer Society -- neuroblastomachildrenscancersociety.org/
The outlook depends on how far the tumor has spread, and whether some areas of the tumor contain more aggressive cancer cells.
Complications that may result include:
- Complications of surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy
- Spread of the tumor into surrounding areas
Contact your provider if you feel a lump or growth on your child's body. Make sure children receive routine exams as part of their well-child care.
Summary: This phase III trial tests how well the addition of dinutuximab to Induction chemotherapy along with standard of care surgical resection of the primary tumor, radiation, stem cell transplantation, and immunotherapy works for treating children with newly diagnosed high-risk neuroblastoma. Dinutuximab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to a molecule called GD2, which is found on the surface of neur...
Summary: Neuroblastoma (NB) is a malignant neoplasm of the sympathetic nervous system, occurring in 1 in 8,000 live births, accounting for 6-10% of all childhood malignant neoplasms and responsible for 12-15% of mortality -, making it the most common and life-threatening extracranial tumor in childhood. Patients with stage 4 high-risk NB is the subgroup with the poorest prognosis. Within this group, two su...
Published Date: October 21, 2025
Published By: Warren Brenner, MD, Oncologist, Lynn Cancer Institute, Boca Raton, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Dorsey JF, Salinas RD, Dang M, et al. Cancer of the central nervous system. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Kastan MB, Doroshow JH, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 63.
Hernandez Tejada FN, Harrison DJ. Neuroblastoma. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 547.
National Cancer Institute website. Neuroblastoma treatment (PDQ) - health professional version. www.cancer.gov/types/neuroblastoma/hp/neuroblastoma-treatment-pdq. Updated April 28, 2025. Accessed December 14, 2025.