Question
My daughter was diagnosed with olfactory neuroblastoma in January this year, and it took only four months for the disease to take her life. Is this disease caused by something we, as parents, did?
Answer
Olfactory neuroblastoma is a malignant intracranial tumor in childhood, and it is not a genetic disease; it has no relation to the parents. The exact cause of any tumor is still not fully understood; there are multiple factors that can lead to tumor growth, and it is impossible to prevent them. Some individual tumors may be predicted through genetic testing as to whether they will grow into tumors or even when they might grow, but the majority remain unclear. There should be no problem if you have another child. In some cases, one twin may develop a tumor while the other remains very healthy. So, you need not worry.