COMPARISON OF PATIENTS WITH NEUROBLASTOMA SCREENED AT 6 MONTHS OF AGEAND THOSE SCREENED AT 7 TO 10 MONTHS

The mass screening programs for neuroblastoma are aimed at infants 6 m onths of age. But because of the delays in obtaining the urine specime n, a substantial number of children are not screened until 7 months of age or older. Purpose: To compare the cases with neuroblastoma screen ed at 6 months of age with those screened at 7-10 months. Patients: Ch ildren who participated in the mass screening for neuroblastoma in Sap poro City from April 1981 to March 1994. Results: Between the true-pos itive cases screened at 6 months of age and those screened at 7 to 10 months, the distribution of the original tumor site and the urinary HV A/VMA ratio were somewhat different. Epidemiological calculations sugg ested that true-positive cases screened at 7 to 10 months of age inclu ded fewer cases of spontaneous regression than those screened at 6 mon ths. Conclusions: Several months' shift in the screening age to the on e older than 6 months would be more efficient, in that fewer cases of spontaneous regression would be included.