Welcome to Nicholas Pedone's Web Page. This web site will keep friends, family and supporters of Nicholas' up to date with his fight against Neuroblastoma. Nicholas was 7 years old when he was diagnosed with Stage III Neuroblastoma on November 2, 2012. He was born and raised in Glen Cove, New York by his loving parents Nick and Josephine Pedone.
Neuroblastoma is a cancer that develops from immature nerve cells found in several areas of the body. Neuroblastoma most commonly arises in and around the adrenal glands, which have similar origins to nerve cells and sit atop the kidneys. However, neuroblastoma can also develop in other areas of the abdomen and in the chest, neck and near the spine, where groups of nerve cells exist. Neuroblastoma most commonly affects children age 5 or younger, though it may rarely occur in older children. There is very little known about why Neuroblastoma occurs, or about what factors increase the risk for occurrence. 7 out of 10 cases are not diagnosed until the disease has spread to other parts of the body. Neuroblastoma accounts for approximately 8-10% of all childhood cancer diagnoses. This very rare childhood cancer has only 600 new cases per year in the United States or equivalent to 1 in every 100,000 children. There is no known cure for relapsed Neuroblastoma.
Nicholas is currently undergoing his chemotherapy treatments at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, New York under the supervision of Dr. Mark E. Weinblatt MD, Chief of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology.