Neuroblastoma is by far the most common cancer in infants and the third most common type of cancer in children. There are approximately 650 new cases of neuroblastoma each year. This number has held steady for many years.

Boys are somewhat more likely to develop neuroblastomas than girls. For every 6 cases in male children, there are 5 in females.

The average age at the time of diagnosis is about 17 months. Around one-third of cases are diagnosed by the first year. Nearly 90% of cases are diagnosed by age 5. And about 2% of cases are found in people over the age of 10, including in some adults. In rare cases, neuroblastoma is detected by ultrasound even before birth.

In as many as 7 of 10 cases, the disease is not diagnosed until it has already spread (metastasized).

Revised 10-28-03