International Neuroblastoma Risk Group
An international collaborative framework that provides a pre-treatment risk stratification system for neuroblastoma based on imaging-defined risk factors and biological tumour features.
Full Definition
The International Neuroblastoma Risk Group (INRG) classification system was developed by an international task force to create a uniform, pre-surgical risk stratification for neuroblastoma, enabling comparison of outcomes across cooperative group trials. It uses image-defined risk factors (IDRFs) rather than surgical staging, alongside biological markers (MYCN amplification, histology, ploidy, segmental chromosomal aberrations) to assign patients to very low, low, intermediate, or high-risk categories. Editors should distinguish between INRG (pre-treatment classification) and INSS (International Neuroblastoma Staging System, a surgical staging system) and use the correct acronym for each. The abbreviation INRG is standard in paediatric oncology manuscripts.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish carefully from INSS (surgical staging). INRG = pre-treatment/imaging-based; INSS = post-surgical.
In Context
- "Under the INRG classification, the patient's tumour was assigned to the high-risk group owing to MYCN amplification and segmental chromosomal aberrations." — Paediatric oncology case report
- "Authors must not conflate INRG (pre-treatment) with INSS (post-surgical) staging; both systems are used in the neuroblastoma literature." — Editorial fact-checking note