Wilms+Tumor

Emeline Buchman

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Statistics:
 * About 500 new cases each year
 * Occurs mostly in young children
 * Wilms Tumor is responsible for 5% of cancers in children
 * Survival rate decreases as the cancer progresses, but only from 99% to 86% in favorable histology. The numbers are less reassuring with unfavorable histology. The numbers for those go from 87% in Stage I to 38% in Stage IV.


 * Symptoms**:
 * Abdominal pain[[image:nphscancers/kidney_cancer_program_2_0.jpg align="right"]]
 * Constipation
 * Fever
 * Discomfort or uneasiness
 * High blood pressure
 * Increased growth limited to one side of the body
 * Loss of appetite
 * Nausea
 * Abdonimal hernia causing swelling in the abdomen
 * Vomiting


 * Facts**:
 * Known as nephroblastoma
 * Wilms Tumor is the cancer of the kidney
 * Usually occurs in children under the age of 8
 * Most often occurs in only one kidney
 * Most common cancer of the kidneys in children
 * Tumor is believed to start forming when the fetus is developing in the womb, with some cells forming to be part of the kidney malfunctioning and forming a tumor

A number of tests may be used to diagnose:
 * Diagnosis**:
 * Abdominal ultrasound
 * Abdominal x-ray
 * Blood test
 * Chest x-ray
 * Complete blood count
 * Creatinine
 * Creatinine clearance
 * CT scan of the abdomen
 * Intervenous pyelogram
 * Urinalysis

The only way to reduce the risk of the spreading of this tumor is for children with a known risk of getting it to get screened regularly with ultrasound of the kidneys.
 * Treatment**:
 * After the doctor determines which stage the tumor is in, surgery is scheduled as soon as possible to avoid letting the tumor continue growing
 * Depending on the size and stage, the surrounding tissues and organs may removed along with the tumor
 * Radiation therapy and chemotherapy is often used after surgery, depending on the stage of the tumor
 * Risk Reduction**:

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