Nephroblastoma, which is also known as Wilms’ tumor is a type of rare kidney cancer that often occurs in children. This type of kidney cancer is also the fourth very most common type of childhood cancer and roughly around 500 children in the world are newly diagnosed with the situation each year. Mostly, Wilms’ tumor is typically diagnosed in kids around 3 years of age. This rare kidney cancer can sometimes occur in older children and adults too.

Symptoms

Children in the age group of 2 to 4 who are diagnosed with Wilms’ tumor often show these following signs and symptoms.

• Constipation
• Swelling, discomfort and pain in the abdomen
• Nausea and vomiting
• Weakness and fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Discoloration or blood in the urine
• High blood pressure
• Shortness of breath

Causes

Though researchers still haven’t found what actually causes Nephroblastoma or any clear links between the disease and environmental factors, these are few factors that cause the Wilms’ tumor

Genetic Factors:

Though children don’t directly inherit the condition from their parents, researchers believe certain factors might raise the chance of a child developing Wilms’ tumor genetically. These are the following genetic syndromes that increase the chances of a child being diagnosed with Nephroblastoma:

• WAGR syndrome
• Densys-Drash syndrome
• Bloom syndrome
• Perlman syndrome
• Sotos syndrome
• Edward’s syndrome (Also called Trisomy 18)
• Frasier syndrome
• Beckwith - Wiedemann syndrome

Frasier, WAGR and Denys-Drash syndrome are linked to mutations in the WT1 gene. Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, on the other hand, is linked to mutations in the WT2 gene, All these both genes are found in chromosome 11. And changes in these genes account for a small percentage of Nephroblastoma in children below 3 years of age. Apart from that, children with certain birth defects are also more likely to develop Nephroblastoma. These are the following birth defects that are associated with the condition.

• Aniridia
• Hemihypertrophy
• Cryptorchidism
• Hypospadias

More about Treatment

More about the disease:

Wilms’ tumors are generally classified into different types under a microscope by looking at the tumor cells and this process is called “Histology”.

1. Unfavorable Histology:

This type of tumor has a nucleus in the cells and often looks very large and distorted in unfavorable histology. This type of tumor is often referred to as Anaplasia. The harder the tumor is to cure when there is more Anaplasia.

2. Favorable Histology:

This type of tumor doesn’t have Anaplasia. Most tumors are easier to cure since over 90 percent of Wilms’ tumors have favorable histology.

Treatment procedure of Wilms’ Tumor:

Few of the main type of treatment procedures involved in treating Wilms’ tumor are as follows:

• Surgery
• Radiation Therapy
• Chemotherapy

Most of the time, children undergo a combination of treatments. Surgery is generally the first treatment that doctors advise the patient with the main goal of the surgery is to remove the tumor. Just in case, the surgery isn’t successful, the child has to undergo chemotherapy or radiation therapy if the tumor wasn’t removed successfully. Apart from that, medications and the extent of treatment will normally vary depending on the child's condition.

FAQ

1. What is the life expectancy of a child with Nephroblastoma?

The five-year survival rate of a kid with Nephroblastoma is 81%.

2. What are the side effects and complications involved in Wilms’ tumor?

Unlike any cancer, the spreading of the disease to almost all organs are a serious complication. And some of the side effects due to the treatment are as follows: Hair loss, fatigue, nausea and vomiting.

3. Can Nephroblastoma be prevented?

While this type of cancer can’t be prevented, the various screening tools can always ensure early detection.

4. Where does Wilms’ tumor metastasis occur?

Nephroblastoma can mostly spread to lymph nodes in the abdomen as well as to the lung (rarely to the liver). It does not spread to the bones, bone marrow, or brain.

5. Can Wilms’ tumor relapse?

Most of the time relapses occur within two years of diagnosis of the original Wilms' tumor occurrence, yet for some children it can come back later than this. And this is for 85% of cases.