Cause
The etiology of neuroblastoma is not well understood. Certain cases however do run in families and have been linked to genetics. Familial neuroblastoma is caused by a very rare germline mutation in the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene.
N-myc amplification is a common finding in these tumours. The degree of amplification shows a bimodal distribution - either 3- to 10-fold, or 100- to 300-fold. The presence of this mutation is highly correlated to advanced stages of disease.
LMO1 gene has been found to be a contributor to neuroblastoma, increasing the risk of developing an aggressive form of the cancer.
Neuroblastoma has been linked to problems with the gene NBPF10 in relation to copy-number variants which cause the 1q21.1 deletion syndrome and 1q21.1 duplication syndrome.
Several risk factors have been proposed and are the subject of ongoing research. Due to characteristic early onset many studies have focused on parental factors around conception and during gestation. Factors investigated have included occupation (i.e. exposure to chemicals in specific industries), smoking, alcohol consumption, use of medicinal drugs during pregnancy and birth factors; however, results have been inconclusive.
Other studies have examined possible links with atopy and exposure to infection early in life, use of hormones and fertility drugs, and maternal use of hair dye.
Read more about this topic: Neuroblastoma