Outcomes of patients with intermediate-risk neuroblastoma presenting with motor deficits relating to intraspinal tumor extension: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group study ANBL0531

Voeller J, Katzenstein HM, Naranjo A, Tenney SC, Chen L, London WB, Handler MH, Schmidt ML, Shimada H, Hogarty MD, Gastier-Foster J, Park JR, Cohn SL, Maris JM, Bagatell R, Twist CJ. Outcomes of patients with intermediate-risk neuroblastoma presenting with motor deficits relating to intraspinal tumor extension: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group study ANBL0531. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2025 Jan;72(1):e31407. doi: 10.1002/pbc.31407. Epub 2024 Nov 6. PMID: 39502014; PMCID: PMC11792557.

Tumor invasion of the spinal canal is detected radiographically in ~15% of patients with newly diagnosed neuroblastoma (NB). The optimal clinical approach to maintain excellent survival outcomes while minimizing long-term sequelae has yet to be defined. Patients with intermediate-risk neuroblastoma (IR-NB) and radiographically identified intraspinal tumors who were treated on the Children’s Oncology Group study ANBL0531 were studied prospectively to evaluate neurologic outcomes related to cord compression. Patients were defined as being symptomatic vs asymptomatic based on reporting of neurologic motor deficits at diagnosis. Patient characteristics, tumor biology, chemotherapy treatment, surgical interventions, and neurologic and disease outcomes are reported.