Childhood Cancers Wilm’s Tumors BY: Brea&Jessica

Wilm’s Tumor Wilms tumor (also called Wilms' tumor or nephroblastoma) is a type of cancer that starts in the kidneys. It is the most common type of renal (kidney) cancer. It is named after Max Wilms, a German doctor who wrote one of the first medical articles about the disease in Most Wilms tumors are unilateral, which means they affect only 1 kidney, but in 5% to 10% of cases there is more than one tumor in the same kidney.

The Symptoms Depending on the child, different symptoms may occur. But the most common include the following: –a non-tender mass, or lump, felt or seen in the abdomen –swelling of the abdomen –veins that appear distended or large across the abdomen –blood in the urine (hematuria) –pain in the abdomen from pressure on other organs near the tumor –decreased appetite and weakness or tiredness –fever –high blood pressure (hypertension)

The Statistics About 6% of all cancers in children are Wilms' tumors. Wilms' tumor occurs most often in the first 5 years of life, usually around ages 3 and 4. It is also more common among African Americans and among girls. Between 400 and 500 new cases of Wilms' tumors are diagnosed each year in the United States. The overall five-year survival rate for children with Wilms' tumor is more than 90%. This is based on a 5 year survival rate. The results have a more favorable outlook for recently diagnosed patients.

The Treatment You can get treatment for Wilm’s Tumor at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Most often, surgery is the primary form of treatment for Wilms' tumor. There are three different surgical procedures that may be used. The first, a radical nephrectomy, involves the removal of the entire kidney and the tissues surrounding it (including the ureter, the adrenal gland, surrounding fatty tissues, and oftentimes, nearby lymph nodes), leaving the remaining kidney to continue filtering blood. The second method, a simple nephrectomy, involves the removal of the affected kidney; and the third, partial nephrectomy, is used in rare cases, such as when tumors are found in both kidneys, and involves the removal of the tumors and a section of the kidney surrounding the tumors. Chemotherapy is often used in conjunction with/or after the primary surgical procedure has been completed. When used to treat Wilms' tumor, radiation therapy is also often combined with surgery and sometimes with surgery and chemotherapy.

References CLyi-uya9pwCFRRlswodBE-Ybg 1x_What_is_wilms_tumor_46.asphttp:// 1x_What_is_wilms_tumor_46.asp _oncology/wilms.cfmhttp:// _oncology/wilms.cfm 1X_What_are_the_key_statistics_for_Wilms_tumor.a sphttp:// 1X_What_are_the_key_statistics_for_Wilms_tumor.a sp