New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)
04/04/2002
By Anne MacLennan
Screening infants for neuroblastoma does not appear to reduce either the incidence of disseminated disease nor mortality from the disease. Furthermore, such screening may lead to unnecessary treatment in some cases that would otherwise be expected to regress spontaneously.
The combined findings of two large studies add significant new knowledge to the complex debate and accelerating exploration – both commercial and academic – around potential tests for newborn screening programs. They underline the need for decisions about screening to be driven not by a test's availability but rather by careful analysis of outcomes, including saving the lives or improving the quality of life of the screened newborns.
Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumour in early childhood and can be identified in preclinical stages by detection of catecholamines in the urine. Until now, however, it has been uncertain whether routine screening for neuroblastoma can reduce related mortality.
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