Wilms Tumor in this organ of children can be dangerous, know its symptoms, causes, treatment

There are many types of tumors in children, one of them is Wilms tumor. This is a type of tumor that occurs in the kidney. Wilms tumor is also called nephroblastoma. This is a very common cancer, which occurs in the kidneys of children.

Wilms tumor symptoms

Wilms' tumor usually presents as a painless abdominal mass, which is detected by the mother while giving the baby a bath. Other most common symptoms include abdominal pain, loss of appetite, fever, weight loss, blood in the urine. Blood in the urine or increased blood pressure may also occur in up to a quarter of patients, which gets better with proper treatment of the tumor. Metastasis (spread of the tumor to other organs outside the kidney) is found in very few cases during investigation. However, when it does, it affects the lungs and liver.

Causes of Wilms tumor

Most cancers that occur in childhood, including Wilms' tumor, are not associated with common environmental exposure causes, like tumors in normal adults. However, 10-15 percent of Wilms' tumor cases may have an intrinsic genetics syndrome, which increases the chances of getting Wilms' tumor. For example, WAGR syndrome (30% risk of Wilms' tumor), Denys-Drash syndrome (90% risk), Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (5% risk). It is therefore important to look for additional specific clinical features of these syndromes in each patient with Wilms' tumor. It can help in genetic counseling and prevention of Wilms tumor in future generations.

How rare is Wilms tumor disease in India?

Wilms tumor is the fifth most common tumor in India, accounting for 5 to 6% of childhood cancer cases. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact number due to various conditions of diagnosis and registration. However, a recent analysis has found that 8.2 per million children between the ages of 0 and 14 have a renal tumor. Thus, about 3000 cases of renal tumors are reported in India every year, which is not a small number.

In which age group is this disease most common?

The most challenging age of the disease is between 3 and 5 years. 90% of cases occur before the age of 6 years.

Wilms tumor Treatment

All cases require a combination of surgery and chemotherapy (medicines that kill cancer cells). Even if the tumor is completely removed by surgery, chemotherapy is required for complete diagnosis. The number and level of chemotherapy is decided based on the stage of the disease. Local radiation to the abdomen or lungs may be required in some patients, depending on the disease and microscopic finding (types of cells in the tumour).

What are the chances of survival?

It is a type of pediatric cancer with an 80 to 90% chance of diagnosis. Provided that complete treatment is taken on the advice of a Pediatric Hemato Oncologist. The percentage of diagnosis is up to 70%, which is considered good, even when the disease is advanced.