Observation, Combination Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, and/or Autologous Stem Cell Transplant in Treating Young Patients With Neuroblastoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Diagnosis of neuroblastoma by histology using tumor tissue or as evidenced by the presence of distinct neuroblastoma cells in the bone marrow AND elevated catecholamine metabolites (i.e., homovanillic acid \[HVA\] and vanillylmandelic acid \[VMA\]) in blood or urine

  * Newly diagnosed disease (for patients in the low-risk group)
  * Diagnosis from tumor tissue (for patients in the medium-risk group)
* Meets criteria for 1 of the following risk groups:

  * Low-risk group

    * No MYCN amplification AND meets 1 of the following criteria:

      * Stage 1 disease
      * Stage 2 disease with no chromosome 1p deletion or imbalance
      * Stage 3 disease with no chromosome 1p deletion or imbalance (for patients \< 2 years of age)
      * Stage 4S disease (for patients \< 1 year of age)
  * Medium-risk group

    * No MYCN amplification AND meets 1 of the following criteria:

      * Stage 2 disease with chromosome 1p deletion or imbalance
      * Stage 3 disease with chromosome 1p deletion or imbalance

        * Any chromosome 1p status (for patients ≥ 2 years of age)
      * Stage 4 disease (for patients \< 1 year of age)
  * High-risk group, meeting 1 of the following criteria:

    * Any stage disease with MYCN amplification

      * Any MYCN status (for patients ≥ 1 year of age)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* No prior nephrectomy or other mutilating surgery as initial surgery (for patients in the low-risk group)
* No other concurrent anticancer therapy