The most conclusive test for a patient with a potential neurofibrosarcoma is a tumor biopsy (taking a sample of cells directly from the tumor itself). MRIs, X-rays, CT scans, and bone scans can aid in locating a tumor and/or possible metastasis.

Urine catecholamine level can be elevated in pre-clinical neuroblastoma. Screening asymptomatic infants at three weeks, six months, and one year has been performed in Japan, Canada, Austria and Germany since the 1980s. Japan began screening six-month-olds for neuroblastoma via analysis of the levels of homovanillic acid and vanilmandelic acid in 1984. Screening was halted in 2004 after studies in Canada and Germany showed no reduction in deaths due to neuroblastoma, but rather caused an increase in diagnoses that would have disappeared without treatment, subjecting those infants to unnecessary surgery and chemotherapy.

Some drugs are particularly effective against cancers which fit certain requirements. For example, Herceptin is very effective in patients who are Her2 positive, but much less effective in patients who are Her2 negative. Once the primary tumor is removed, biopsy of the current state of the cancer through traditional tissue typing is not possible anymore. Often tissue sections of the primary tumor, removed years prior, are used to do the typing. Further characterisation of CTC may help determining the current tumor phenotype. FISH assays has been performed on CTC to as well as determination of IGF-1R, Her2, Bcl-2, [ERG (gene)|ERG], PTEN, AR status using immunofluorescence. Single cell level qPCR can also be performed with the CTCs isolated from blood.

Conditions which may be confused with NF include, LEOPARD syndrome, and Legius syndrome.

Like most tumors in the brain, astroblastoma can be treated through surgery and various forms of therapy. Many publications within the last decade have suggested a noticeable improvement in success rate of patients. With the advancement of cutting-edge technology and novel approaches in stem cells, patients are hopeful that they be happy and healthy through old age.

The following factors influence an oncologist's specific treatment plan:

1. Patient's overall medical history

2. Localization and grade severity of the tumor

3. Age and tolerance to certain medications, procedures, and treatment

4. Predicted progress of recovery

5. Final anticipated outcome of treatment

Patient response to treatment will vary based on age, health, and the tolerance to medications and therapies.

Metastasis occurs in about 39% of patients, most commonly to the lung. Features associated with poor prognosis include a large primary tumor (over 5 cm across), high grade disease, co-existent neurofibromatosis, and the presence of metastases.

It is a rare tumor type, with a relatively poor prognosis in children.

In addition, MPNSTs are extremely threatening in NF1. In a 10-year institutional review for the treatment of chemotherapy for MPNST in NF1, which followed the cases of 1 per 2,500 in 3,300 live births, chemotherapy did not seem to reduce mortality, and its effectiveness should be questioned. Although with recent approaches with the molecular biology of MPNSTs, new therapies and prognostic factors are being examined.

To date, a variety of research methods have been developed to isolate and enumerate CTC. The only U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared methodology for enumeration of CTC in whole blood is the CellSearch system. Extensive clinical testing done using this method shows that presence of CTC is a strong prognostic factor for overall survival in patients with metastatic breast, colorectal or prostate cancer, see figure 2

Surgical removal of tumors is an option, however the risks involved should be assessed first. With regard to OPG (optic pathway gliomas), the preferred treatment is chemotherapy. However, radiotherapy isn't recommended in children who present with this disorder. It is recommended that children diagnosed with NF1 at an early age have an examination each year, which allows any potential growths or changes related to the disorder to be monitored.

Prenatal testing may be used to identify the existence of NF-1 in the fetus. For embryos produced via in vitro fertilisation, it is possible via preimplantation genetic diagnosis to screen for NF-1.

Chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis can be used to detect NF-1 in the fetus.

People with NF-1 have a 50% percent chance of passing the disorder on to their kids, but people can have a child born with NF-1 when they themselves do not have it. This is caused in a spontaneous change in the genes during pregnancy.

Another way to detect neuroblastoma is the mIBG scan (meta-iodobenzylguanidine), which is taken up by 90 to 95% of all neuroblastomas, often termed "mIBG-avid." The mechanism is that mIBG is taken up by sympathetic neurons, and is a functioning analog of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. When it is radio-ionated with I-131 or I-123 (radioactive iodine isotopes), it is a very good radiopharmaceutical for diagnosis and monitoring of response to treatment for this disease. With a half-life of 13 hours, I-123 is the preferred isotope for imaging sensitivity and quality. I-131 has a half-life of 8 days and at higher doses is an effective therapy as targeted radiation against relapsed and refractory neuroblastoma.

Surviving the symptoms of high-grade astroblastoma is not life-threatening, but a significant portion of patients die due to repeated recurrence of tumors as they continue to grow and spread. Unlike conventional low-grade tumors, high-grade tumors associate a plethora of factors when they metastasize to other areas of the body. Therefore, complications frequently occur after surgery is performed since an oncologist cannot efficiently control the tumor in a suitable time-frame. Cases in literature confirm that high-grade patients face up to five or six resection surgeries and "still" experience symptoms post-operatively. The dual-action of chemotherapy and radiotherapy can slow down recurrence when gross total resection is performed multiple times, but there is no guarantee that the tumor will ever be in remission.

A nerve sheath tumor is a type of tumor of the nervous system (nervous system neoplasm) which is made up primarily of the myelin surrounding nerves.

A peripheral nerve sheath tumor (PNST) is a nerve sheath tumor in the peripheral nervous system. Benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors include schwannomas and neurofibromas.

A malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is a cancerous peripheral nerve sheath tumor.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has created specific criteria for the diagnosis of NF-1. Two of these seven "Cardinal Clinical Features" are required for positive diagnosis. There is practical flowchart to distinguish between NF1, NF2 and schwannomatosis.

- Six or more café-au-lait spots over 5 mm in greatest diameter in pre-pubertal individuals and over 15 mm in greatest diameter in post-pubertal individuals. Note that multiple café-au-lait spots alone are not a definitive diagnosis of NF-1 as these spots can be caused by a number of other conditions.

- Two or more neurofibromas of any type or 1 plexiform neurofibroma

- Freckling in the axillary (Crowe sign) or inguinal regions

- Optic glioma

- Two or more Lisch nodules (pigmented iris hamartomas)

- A distinctive osseous lesion such as sphenoid dysplasia, or thinning of the long bone cortex with or without pseudarthrosis.

- A first degree relative (parent, sibling, or offspring) with NF-1 by the above criteria.

MASC is currently treated as a low-grade (i.e. Grade 1) carcinoma with an overall favorable prognosis. These cases are treated by complete surgical excision. However, the tumor does have the potential to recur locally and/or spread beyond surgically dissectible margins as well as metastasize to regional lymph nodes and distant tissues, particularly in tumors with histological features indicating a high cell growth rate potential. One study found lymph node metastasis in 5 of 34 MASC patients at initial surgery for the disease; these cases, when evidencing no further spread of disease, may be treated with radiation therapy. The treatment of cases with disease spreading beyond regional lymph nodes has been variable, ranging from simple excision to radical resections accompanied by adjuvant radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, depending on the location of disease. Mean disease-free survival for MASC patients has been reported to be 92 months in one study.

The tyrosine kinase activity of NTRK3 as well as the ETV6-NTRK3 protein is inhibited by certain tyrosine kinase inhibitory drugs such as Entrectinib and LOXO-101; this offers a potential medical intervention method using these drugs to treat aggressive MASC disease. Indeed, one patient with extensive head and neck MASC disease obtained an 89% fall in tumor size when treated with entrectinib. This suppression lasted only 7 months due to the tumor's acquirement of a mutation in the "ETV6-NTRK3" gene. The newly mutated gene encoded an entrectinib-reisistant "ETV6-NTRK3" protein. Treatment of aggressive forms of MASC with NTRK3-inhibiting tyrosine kinase inhibiting drugs, perhaps with switching to another type of tyrosine kinase inhibitor drug if the tumor acquires resistance to the initial drug, is under study.STARTRK-2

A neuroectodermal tumor is a tumor of the central or peripheral nervous system.

In 2010, EBC-46, a drug which cures facial tumours in dogs, cats, and horses, was proposd as a cure for DFTD.

Vaccination with irradiated cancer cells has not proven successful.

A primary research report in 2011 has suggested that picking a genetically diverse breeding stock, defined by the genome sequence, may help with for conservation efforts.

As of 2011, there was ongoing support for a research team of David Phalen and colleagues to investigate chemotherapeutic agents against DFTD.

In 2013, a study using mice as a model for Tasmanian devils suggested that a DFTD vaccine or treatment could be beneficial. In 2015, a study which mixed dead DFTD cells with an inflammatory substance stimulated an immune response in five out of six devils injected with the mixture, engendering for a vaccine against DFTD. Field testing of the potential vaccine is being undertaken as a collaborative project between the Menzies Institute for Medical Research and the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program under the Wild Devil Recovery program, and aims to test the immunisation protocol as a tool in ensuring the devil's long term survival in the wild.

In March 2017, scientists at the University of Tasmania presented an apparent first report of having successfully treated Tasmanian devils suffering from the disease, by injecting live cancer cells into the infected devils to stimulate their immune system to recognise the disease and fight it off.

Detection of this type of neuropathy has concentrated mostly on detecting presence of antibodies because the antibodies are the main cause for the disease. Anti-MAG antibodies can be readily detected in a patient’s sera using various types of assays, but mainly an ELISA has been shown to be most effective. There are also various biological indicators, such as elevated cerebral spinal fluid proteins and elevated IgM monoclonal levels. These can also be tested either by drawing serum from a patient or by drawing spinal fluid from a spinal tap and testing using an assay or blot.

Diagnostic testing in a possible paraneoplastic syndrome depends on the symptoms and the suspected underlying cancer.

Diagnosis may be difficult in patients in whom paraneoplastic antibodies cannot be detected. In the absence of these antibodies, other tests that may be helpful include MRI, PET, lumbar puncture and electrophysiology.

Adult survivors of childhood cancer have some physical, psychological, and social difficulties.

Premature heart disease is a major long-term complication in adult survivors of childhood cancer. Adult survivors are eight times more likely to die of heart disease than other people, and more than half of children treated for cancer develop some type of cardiac abnormality, although this may be asymptomatic or too mild to qualify for a clinical diagnosis of heart disease.

Mammary analogue secretory carcinoma occurs somewhat more commonly in men (male to female ratio of <1.5:1.0). Patients with this disease have a mean age of 46 years although ~12% of cases occur in pediatric patients. Individuals typically present with symptomless tumors in the [[parotid|parotid salivary gland]] (68%), [[Oral mucosa#classification|buccal mucosa salivary glands]] (9%), [[Submandibular gland|submandibular salivary gland]] (8%) or in the small salivary glands of the lower lip (5%), upper lip (4%), and [[hard palate]] (4%). [[Histologically]], these tumors are described as have a morphology similar to secretory breast carcinoma; they typically having one or more of the following histological patterns: microcystic, papillary-cystic, follicular, and/or solid lobular. Other histological features of these tissues include: the presence of eosinophilic secretions as detected by staining strongly for [[eosin Y]]; positive staining with [[periodic acid-Schiff stain]] (often after [[diastase]]); the presence of vesicular oval nuclei with a single small but prominent [[nucleolus]]; and the absence of basophilic [[Haematoxylin]] or [[zymogen]] granules (i.e. vesicles that store enzymes near the cell's plasma membrane).

The cited histology features are insufficient to distinguish MASC from other [[Salivary gland neoplasm]]s such as [[acinic cell carcinoma]], low-grade cribriform cystadenocarcinoma, and adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified. MASC can be distinguished from these and other histologically similar tumors by either tissue identification of a) the "ETV6-NTRK3" fusion gene using [[Fluorescence in situ hybridization]] or [[reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction]] gene detection methods or b) a specific pattern of marker proteins as registered using specific antibody-based detection methods, i.e. MASC tissue should have detectable [[S100 protein|S100]] (a family of calcium binding proteins), [[Mammaglobin]] (a breast cancer marker, Keratin 7 (an intermediate filament found in epithelial cells), GATA3 (a transcription factor and breast cancer biomarker), SOX10 (a transcription factor important in neural crest origin cells and development of the peripheral nervous system), and STAT5A (a transcription factor) but lack antibody-detectable TP63 (a transcription factor in the same family as p53) and Anoctamin-1 (a voltage sensitive calcium activated chloride channel).

Children with cancer are at risk for developing various cognitive or learning problems. These difficulties may be related to brain injury stemming from the cancer itself, such as a brain tumor or central nervous system metastasis or from side effects of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Studies have shown that chemo and radiation therapies may damage brain white matter and disrupt brain activity.

Colorectal cancer patients with peritoneal involvement can be treated with Oxaliplatin or Irinotecan based chemotherapy. Such treatment is not expected to be curative, but can extend the lives of patients. . Some patients may be cured through Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy but the procedure entails a high degree of risk for morbidity or death.

Traditional autonomic testing is used to aid in the diagnosis of AAG. These tests can include a Tilt Table Test (TTT), thermoregulatory sweat test (TST), quantitative sudomotor autonomic reflex testing (QSART) and various blood panels. Additionally, a blood test showing high levels of the antibody ganglionic nicotenic acetylcholine receptor (gAChr) occur in about 50% of patients with AAG (seropositive AAG). The seronegative patients (those without detectable gAChR levels) are theorized to have one or more different antibodies responsible for the autonomic dysfunction. However, both seropositive and seronegative patients have been seen to respond to the same treatments. A paraneoplastic panel may also be ordered to rule out paraneoplastic syndrome.

The meningeal covering of the central nervous system may be the site of tumor growth. Breast cancer, lung cancer and melanoma are the most common tumors.

The administration of immunotherapy, in association with chemotherapy or tumor removal, .