Neuroblastoma is a rare tumour, yet the most frequent one in children below the age of five years. It can be considered as a model in several regards. It is a unique clinical modal with a particular form in infants below one year of age, who present a better prognosis, whereas the disseminated form in children over one year of age has been almost always fatal until recently. It shows the necessity of the interdisciplinary approach in paediatric oncology and some of its recent progress. It is a unique biological model to study the problems of spontaneous maturation, immunological control of tumours, the impact of genetics and of techniques which may completely change cancer therapy ten years from now. Finally, neuroblastoma is a model concerning possible screening and prevention of a childhood malignancy, which involves the cost/efficacy aspect.