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Victoria's Story
Victoria's
triumphant battle
with Wilms' Tumor
more

Wilms' tumor, also called nephroblastoma, is the most common type of kidney cancer found in children, accounting for approximately 95 percent of all childhood kidney cancers and six percent of all childhood cancers. About 500 cases are diagnosed in the United States each year, the majority of which are curable.

Named for Max Wilms (1867-1918), the surgeon who first identified the disease in 1899, Wilms' tumor is a disease in which cancerous cells grow in one or both of the kidneys -- two bean-shaped organs located on either side of the spine in the abdominal region. Wilms' tumor usually occurs in only one kidney (unilateral tumors) when certain cells in that kidney multiply uncontrollably, growing into a malignant, or cancerous, mass. In a small number of cases, Wilms' tumor can form in both kidneys (bilateral tumors); these do not always occur at the same time -- a tumor can be detected in one kidney after first developing in the other.

  • Our Approach & Expertise
    Wilms' tumor is a rare disease, one in which most physicians have little or no experience treating. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has a long history of treating children with Wilms' tumor, caring for between five and ten children with the disease each year.
  • Our Team of Experts
    Our doctors -- including pediatric oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, nurses, bone marrow and stem cell transplant specialists, and social workers -- work as a multidisciplinary team to provide optimal care to Wilms' tumor patients.
  • Risk Factors
    A very small percentage -- one to two percent -- of children with Wilms' tumor have a family member or relative who also had Wilms' tumor. These children have a higher risk of developing bilateral tumors (tumors found in both kidneys) than those children with nonfamilial (also called sporadic) cases of Wilms' tumor.
  • Symptoms
    Wilms' tumor is most frequently detected in children between the ages of two and three, though it can occur in infants as well as adults. Typically, the tumor is initially detected as a lump in the abdomen, usually found by a parent or a pediatrician during a routine check-up.
  • Diagnosis
    When Wilms' tumor is suspected, the standard procedure is to have a CT (computed tomography) scan, which examines the chest, abdomen, and pelvis for any signs of cancer.
  • Staging
    Your child's tumor will be staged using the National Wilms' Tumor Study Group (NWTS) staging system, which employs Roman numerals I through V (one through five). Once the tumor has been staged, your child's doctor will create a treatment plan to most effectively treat the disease.
  • Treatment
    Thanks to modern treatment advances, nine out of ten children with Wilm's tumor are cured. The three main types of treatment include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Before choosing a course of treatment or combination of treatments, a doctor will study the histology and all available test results to determine the extent that the tumor has spread, a process called staging.

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Last Updated: Apr. 7, 2006
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