General Information About Childhood Esthesioneuroblastoma
Esthesioneuroblastoma is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the upper nasal cavity and base of the skull.
Esthesioneuroblastoma begins in the olfactory nerve endings in the upper part of the nasal cavity. The olfactory nerves (sense of smell) pass through the many tiny holes in the bone at the base of the brain to the olfactory bulb. Esthesioneuroblastoma is also called olfactory neuroblastoma.
Esthesioneuroblastomas form in the olfactory nerve endings in the upper part of the nasal cavity. The olfactory nerves (sense of smell) pass through the many tiny holes in the bone at the base of the brain to the olfactory bulb. Esthesioneuroblastomas may spread from the nasal cavity to the nasal sinuses or to nearby tissue. They may also spread to the brain or to other parts of the body (not shown).
Esthesioneuroblastoma affects adults and children. Even though it is very rare, esthesioneuroblastoma is the most common cancer of the nasal cavity in children and teens. This summary is about the treatment of children and teens with esthesioneuroblastoma.
Signs and symptoms of esthesioneuroblastoma include nosebleeds and the loss of sense of smell.
These and other signs and symptoms may be caused by esthesioneuroblastoma or by other conditions. Check with your child's doctor if your child has any of the following:
- A mass in the nose.
- Trouble breathing through the nose.
- Change in or loss of the sense of smell.
- Nosebleeds.
- Headache.
- Bulging of the eye.
- Trouble seeing.
- Eye pain.
Tests that examine the nasal cavity are used to help diagnose esthesioneuroblastoma.
In addition to asking about your child's personal and family health history and doing a physical exam, your child's doctor may perform the following tests and procedures.
Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery).
The prognosis depends on the following:
- Whether the cancer is in the nose only or if it has spread to the nasal sinuses, lymph nodes, or to other parts of the body.
- Whether the tumor was completely removed by surgery.
Stages of Esthesioneuroblastoma
After esthesioneuroblastoma has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread to nearby areas or to other parts of the body.
The process used to find out if cancer has spread to tissues near the nasal cavity or to other parts of the body is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. The results of the tests used to diagnose cancer are often also used to stage the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment. For more information on the tests used to diagnose esthesioneuroblastoma, see the General Information section.
The following tests and procedures may be used to find out if cancer has spread:
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Chest x-ray: An x-ray of the organs and bones inside the chest. An x-ray is a type of energy beam that can go through the body and onto film, making a picture of areas inside the body.
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PET-CT scan: Sometimes a PET scan and a CT scan are done at the same time. If there is any cancer, this increases the chance that it will be found.
- CT scan (CAT scan): A procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, such as the chest or abdomen, taken from different angles. The pictures are made by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly. This procedure is also called computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.
- PET scan (positron emission tomography scan): A procedure to find malignant tumor cells in the body. A small amount of radioactive glucose (sugar) is injected into a vein. The PET scanner rotates around the body and makes a picture of where glucose is being used in the body. Malignant tumor cells show up brighter in the picture because they are more active and take up more glucose than normal cells do.
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Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy: The removal of tissue or fluid from an enlarged lymph node, using a thin needle. A pathologist views the tissue or fluid under a microscope to look for cancer cells.
There are three ways that cancer spreads in the body.
Cancer can spread through tissue, the lymph system, and the blood:
- Tissue. The cancer spreads from where it began by growing into nearby areas.
- Lymph system. The cancer spreads from where it began by getting into the lymph system. The cancer travels through the lymph vessels to other parts of the body.
- Blood. The cancer spreads from where it began by getting into the blood. The cancer travels through the blood vessels to other parts of the body.
Cancer may spread from where it began to other parts of the body.
When cancer spreads to another part of the body, it is called metastasis. Cancer cells break away from where they began (the primary tumor) and travel through the lymph system or blood.
- Lymph system. The cancer gets into the lymph system, travels through the lymph vessels, and forms a tumor (metastatic tumor) in another part of the body.
- Blood. The cancer gets into the blood, travels through the blood vessels, and forms a tumor (metastatic tumor) in another part of the body.
The metastatic tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example, if esthesioneuroblastoma spreads to the lung, the cancer cells in the lung are actually esthesioneuroblastoma cells. The disease is metastatic esthesioneuroblastoma, not lung cancer.
The following stages are used for esthesioneuroblastoma:
Stage A
In stage A, cancer is found in the nasal cavity only.
Stage B
In stage B, cancer has spread from the nasal cavity to the nasal sinuses.
Stage C
In stage C, cancer has spread through the nasal sinuses to nearby tissue.
Stage D
In stage D, cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes in the neck, or to the brain, bone marrow, or lung.
Sometimes childhood esthesioneuroblastoma comes back after treatment.
The cancer may recur (come back) in the original cancer site, central nervous system, or lymph nodes after it has been treated.
Treatment Option Overview
There are different types of treatment for children with esthesioneuroblastoma.
Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer. When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment, the new treatment may become the standard treatment.
Because cancer in children is rare, taking part in a clinical trial should be considered. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.
Children with esthesioneuroblastoma should have their treatment planned by a team of doctors who are experts in treating childhood cancer.
Treatment will be overseen by a pediatric oncologist, a doctor who specializes in treating children with cancer. The pediatric oncologist works with other pediatric health professionals who are experts in treating children with cancer and who specialize in certain areas of medicine. This may include the following specialists and others:
- Pediatrician.
- Pediatric surgeon.
- Radiation oncologist.
- Pathologist.
- Pediatric nurse specialist.
- Social worker.
- Rehabilitation specialist.
- Psychologist.
- Child-life specialist.
Three types of standard treatment are used:
Surgery
Surgery to remove the tumor is one of the main treatments used for esthesioneuroblastoma.
After the doctor removes all the cancer that can be seen at the time of the surgery, some patients may be given chemotherapy or radiation therapy to kill any cancer cells that are left. Treatment given after the surgery, to lower the risk that the cancer will come back, is called adjuvant therapy.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the area of the body with cancer.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy).
New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials.
This summary section describes treatments that are being studied in clinical trials. It may not mention every new treatment being studied. Information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website.
Targeted therapy
Targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells.
Targeted therapy is being studied for the treatment of childhood esthesioneuroblastoma that has recurred (come back).
Treatment for childhood esthesioneuroblastoma may cause side effects.
To learn more about side effects that begin during treatment for cancer, visit Side Effects.
Side effects from cancer treatment that begin after treatment and continue for months or years are called late effects. Late effects of cancer treatment may include:
- Physical problems.
- Changes in mood, feelings, thinking, learning, or memory.
- Second cancers (new types of cancer) or other conditions.
Some late effects may be treated or controlled. It is important to talk with your child's doctors about the possible late effects caused by some treatments. For more information, see Late Effects of Treatment for Childhood Cancer.
Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial.
For some patients, taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice. Clinical trials are part of the cancer research process. Clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment.
Many of today's standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials. Patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment.
Patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future. Even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments, they often answer important questions and help move research forward.
Patients can enter clinical trials before, during, or after starting their cancer treatment.
Some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment. Other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better. There are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring (coming back) or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment.
Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. Information about clinical trials supported by NCI can be found on NCI's clinical trials search webpage. Clinical trials supported by other organizations can be found on the ClinicalTrials.gov website.
Follow-up tests may be needed.
As your child goes through treatment, they will have follow-up tests or check-ups. Some of the tests that were done to diagnose the cancer may be repeated to see how well the treatment is working. Decisions about whether to continue, change, or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests.
Some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended. The results of these tests can show if your child's condition has changed or if the cancer has recurred (come back).
Treatment of Stage A Esthesioneuroblastoma
For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.
Treatment of newly diagnosed stage A esthesioneuroblastoma may include the following:
- Surgery to remove the tumor. Radiation therapy may also be given if the tumor was not completely removed.
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
Treatment of Stage B Esthesioneuroblastoma
For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.
Treatment of newly diagnosed stage B esthesioneuroblastoma may include the following:
- Surgery to remove the tumor followed by radiation therapy.
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
Treatment of Stage C Esthesioneuroblastoma
For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.
Treatment of newly diagnosed stage C esthesioneuroblastoma may include the following:
- Chemotherapy followed by surgery to remove the tumor.
- Radiation therapy followed by surgery to remove the tumor.
- Chemotherapy and radiation therapy given at the same time followed by surgery to remove the tumor.
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
Treatment of Stage D Esthesioneuroblastoma
For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.
Treatment of newly diagnosed stage D esthesioneuroblastoma may include the following:
- Chemotherapy given before or after surgery to remove the tumor.
- Radiation therapy to the tumor and/or other places in the body where the cancer has spread.
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
Treatment of Recurrent Childhood Esthesioneuroblastoma
For information about the treatment listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.
Treatment of recurrent esthesioneuroblastoma may include the following:
- A clinical trial that checks a sample of the patient's tumor for certain gene changes. The type of targeted therapy that will be given to the patient depends on the type of gene change.
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
To Learn More About Esthesioneuroblastoma
For more information from the National Cancer Institute about esthesioneuroblastoma, see the following:
For more childhood cancer information and other general cancer resources, visit:
About This PDQ Summary
About PDQ
Physician Data Query (PDQ) is the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) comprehensive cancer information database. The PDQ database contains summaries of the latest published information on cancer prevention, detection, genetics, treatment, supportive care, and complementary and alternative medicine. Most summaries come in two versions. The health professional versions have detailed information written in technical language. The patient versions are written in easy-to-understand, nontechnical language. Both versions have cancer information that is accurate and up to date and most versions are also available in Spanish.
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This PDQ cancer information summary has current information about the treatment of childhood esthesioneuroblastoma. It is meant to inform and help patients, families, and caregivers. It does not give formal guidelines or recommendations for making decisions about health care.
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Editorial Boards write the PDQ cancer information summaries and keep them up to date. These Boards are made up of experts in cancer treatment and other specialties related to cancer. The summaries are reviewed regularly and changes are made when there is new information. The date on each summary ("Updated") is the date of the most recent change.
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Clinical Trial Information
A clinical trial is a study to answer a scientific question, such as whether one treatment is better than another. Trials are based on past studies and what has been learned in the laboratory. Each trial answers certain scientific questions in order to find new and better ways to help cancer patients. During treatment clinical trials, information is collected about the effects of a new treatment and how well it works. If a clinical trial shows that a new treatment is better than one currently being used, the new treatment may become "standard." Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.
Clinical trials can be found online at NCI's website. For more information, call the Cancer Information Service (CIS), NCI's contact center, at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).
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PDQ® Pediatric Treatment Editorial Board. PDQ Childhood Esthesioneuroblastoma Treatment. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute. Updated <MM/DD/YYYY>. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/types/head-and-neck/patient/child/esthesioneuroblastoma-treatment-pdq. Accessed <MM/DD/YYYY>.
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Last Revised: 2022-10-12
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