There are many different types of treatment, but the main ones include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. However, sometimes children's immune systems get rid of the neuroblastoma before anything needs to be done. Therefore, doctors prefer to give the tumor some time, depending on its severity, before taking unnecessary actions. Surgery is often performed for many types of cancer and can be a very successful treatment. Despite this fact, “ . . . most neuroblastomas are not detected until the cancer has spread. In this situation, the doctor removes as much of the tumor as possible during surgery” (“Neuroblastoma – Childhood: Treatment Options”). If the tumor cannot be completely removed by surgery, doctors sometimes recommend chemotherapy or radiation to remove the rest. Chemotherapy can also be effective but can have some unwanted side effects. “Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to destroy cancer cells, usually by blocking the cancer cells' ability to grow and divide. . . Side effects of chemotherapy depend on the individual and the dose used, but may include fatigue, risk of infection, nausea and vomiting, hair loss, loss of appetite, and diarrhea” (“Neuroblastoma – Childhood: Treatment Options”). The doctor and parents may feel that the potential side effects may be too dangerous for a young child to bear. Another treatment option involves the use of radioactive energy. It explains: “Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy X-rays or other particles to destroy cancer cells. . . Radiation therapy can sometimes cause problems with the normal growth and development of the baby's brain and ovaries (in girls) or testes (in boys). . .” ("Neuroblastoma - Childhood: treatment options"). As with chemotherapy, the side effects may be too severe for young children. The possibility of stunting the growth of a child's brain may seem harsh.