The etiology is unknown.
The following factors have been implicated but not proven to cause neuroblastoma:
- Paternal exposure to electromagnetic fields
- Prenatal exposure to alcohol, pesticides, phenobarbital
Genetic Predisposition
A subset of patients exhibit a predisposition to develop neuroblastoma:
- Familial cases- 1% of all cases.
- Median age of diagnosis for familial neuroblastoma is 9 months (younger than median).
- Analysis of neuroblastoma pedigrees have revealed the short arm of chromosome 16 (16p12-13) is a likely predisposition locus.
Associated Conditions
- Hirschsprung disease
- Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS or Ondine’s curse)
- Neurofibromatosis type I
- Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome
By studying the genetics of these disorders, perhaps genes will be identified as possible candidate genes for neuroblastoma.
