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Chasing Away Childhood Cancer

Neuroblastoma Risk Classification Database

The International Neuroblastoma Risk Group (INRG) was formed in 1988 to standardize risk group classification for patients with neuroblastoma. It addresses issues such as developing molecular markers to stage tumor growth and response to treatment. The INRG created a database and standardized the risk factors for 9000 international patients, and in 2009, published a landmark paper in which a new risk assignment scheme was established for children with neuroblastoma. Over a dozen significant research papers have now been published using this important patient database. Chase After a Cure is proud to be one of the many organizations to help fund its growth. With our donation of $5,000 and others, the IRNG was able to create the database and continue its usage.

Researchers are now continuing to develop an interactive website that will allow access to the INRG database, which now has over 17,500 international patients. Previously, researchers worked with statisticians to ask questions of the data and then had to ask other institutions worldwide whether or not patient samples were available. Now, for the first time, researchers wanting to study aspects of neuroblastoma will be able to look directly in the database and immediately know which patients samples are available. This database is a positive contribution to neuroblastoma research as it continues to evolve daily.

Sources: http://wgfrf.org/scientific-activities/inrg-database/ &