Wilms' tumor is a rare type of kidney cancer that affects children. It also is called nephroblastoma. If Wilms' tumor is found and treated in the early stages, the chances for successful treatment are as high as 95%.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 500 children, most between ages 2 and 5, are diagnosed with Wilms' tumor each year in this country. While it is rare, it is the most common type of kidney cancer in children.
Problems that cause Wilms' tumor may begin before birth. As kidney cells mature in the fetus, they become specialized and form different parts of the kidney. Some of the cells continue developing after birth and mature over the next three or four years.
However, in children with Wilms' tumor, the cells remain immature. They begin to grow and reproduce too quickly, forming a tumor.
Wilms' tumor generally forms one tumor in one kidney. In rare cases, there may be more than one tumor in one kidney or tumors in both kidneys.
Because they grow rapidly and often don't have early symptoms, Wilms' tumors may be large when they are found. Sometimes they spread to other parts of the body, particularly the lungs.
Types of Wilms' tumors
Wilms' tumors can be classified into two categories depending on how they appear when they are examined with a microscope.
Favorable histology: Almost all Wilms' tumors are this type. The cells are slightly abnormal. Chances for successful treatment are good.
Unfavorable histology (anaplastic Wilms' tumor): The cell area that holds the DNA is large and distorted, or anaplastic. Anaplastic tumors are more difficult to treat successfully.
Wilms' Tumor risk factors
Anything that increases your child's chance of getting Wilms' tumor is a risk factor. Although we don't know exactly what causes Wilms' tumors, some things may make your child more likely to develop the disease.
Risk factors include:
- Age: Most children who develop Wilms' tumors are between 3 and 5 years old
- Race: Wilms' tumor is more common in African American children. It is least prevalent in Asian American children
- Gender: It is more common in females
- Birth defect syndromes, including:
- WAGR
- Beckwith-Wiedemann
- Denys-Drash
- Other birth defects, including:
- Aniridia (complete or partial lack of the iris [colored area] of the eyes)
- Hemihypertrophy (an oversized arm and/or leg on one side of the body)
- Cryptorchidism (failure of the testicles to descend into the scrotum) in boys
- Hypospadias (defect in boys where the urinary opening is on the underside of the penis)
- Other genetic conditions, including:
- Perlman syndrome
- Sotos syndrome
- Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome
- Bloom syndrome
- Li-Fraumeni syndrome
- Frasier syndrome
- Trisomy 18
Not everyone with risk factors gets Wilms' tumor. However, if your child has risk factors, you should discuss them with your doctor.
Learn more about Wilms' tumor:
Nine-time cancer survivor: ¡®Actually, I feel kind of lucky¡¯
Cancer has been a part of my life practically from Day 1.?
I had to have my left kidney removed when I was just 4 months old, after being diagnosed with a Wilms¡¯ tumor in Lake Charles, Louisiana in 1971. Since then, I¡¯ve had several recurrences of kidney cancer, and four additional cancer diagnoses: pheochromocytoma, soft tissue sarcoma, melanoma and another type of skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma.
Cancer also took the lives of both my parents: my mother died of lung cancer when I was 17, and my father died of colorectal cancer when I was 25.?
You might think I¡¯d be bitter today because of all that. But my parents always had really positive attitudes about things, so I¡¯ve tried to do the same.
Why I feel lucky, despite my cancer diagnoses
It might sound strange, but the truth is, I actually feel kind of lucky. Between my first diagnosis as an infant and my second diagnosis as an adult, cancer granted me a 30-year reprieve. I was able to finish school, get married and even have a child ¡ª something I¡¯d been told I¡¯d never be able to do because of the radiation therapy I¡¯d received as a baby.
I¡¯ve also been a patient at MD Anderson, the best cancer hospital in the country, since 2001. And despite all the heartache that cancer has caused me, every diagnosis except the one I had as a baby has been treatable with surgery alone. That¡¯s pretty amazing.
Life hasn¡¯t always been glorious, of course. And I certainly wouldn¡¯t wish my experiences on anyone else. But I do believe that happiness is a choice. So, I choose to live happily.
My road to MD Anderson
As an adult, my cancer troubles began when I started having heart palpitations. Nobody could figure out why. After many office visits, lab tests and scans, one doctor finally did: I had pheochromocytoma, a rare type of neuroendocrine tumor, on my right adrenal gland. I also had renal cell carcinoma again ¡ª on my only remaining kidney.
I fell to my knees at that moment. By then, I had a husband and a 7-year-old son. And I only had one kidney left. I knew at least part of it would have to be removed. So, I really didn¡¯t know how I was going to survive.
My local doctor wanted to do a single surgery, but he wasn¡¯t sure he could get all the cancer out. That¡¯s why I decided to go to MD Anderson. Every doctor there is an expert in what they treat. So, the same surgeon who removes your colon isn¡¯t also going to be removing your breast. They¡¯re highly specialized.
My many cancer treatments
At MD Anderson, I met first with urologic oncologist Dr. Christopher Wood (now deceased). He was extremely confident, and said he felt certain he could remove both tumors successfully, if we did it in two separate operations. That sounded a lot better to me than one surgery with someone who wasn¡¯t quite sure if he could do it. So, I placed my trust in Dr. Wood. He didn¡¯t let me down.
Dr. Wood performed the first surgery successfully on April 4, 2002, and the second one on May 16, 2002. Both times, he was waiting for me in the recovery room when I woke up. Dr. Wood had such a wonderful bedside manner. After the first surgery, I remember him telling me, ¡°Jennifer, we¡¯re going to be friends for a long, long time.¡± And we were, right up until his death in late 2021.
I¡¯ve had quite a few more surgeries at MD Anderson since Dr. Wood performed those on me in 2002. In 2007, removed my uterus to resolve an ongoing fibroid issue. In 2017, removed a soft tissue sarcoma that was obstructing my small intestine. And, in 2018, removed melanomas from both my back and my right leg. That same year, removed spots of basal cell carcinoma from my hip and back.
Why I still feel grateful today
I only have half of one kidney left now. So, I can¡¯t take ibuprofen, play football or practice karate. And I still have a mass on one ovary that¡¯s scheduled to come out in April, plus a pretty good-sized goiter on my thyroid that will need to be removed eventually. But right now, I¡¯m cancer-free. So, I¡¯m grateful.
I¡¯m also very proud of my son, Zachary. He¡¯s 28 now, and a radiation therapist at MD Anderson. Zach was only in the second grade when I was diagnosed as an adult, but we were always honest and spoke in age-appropriate terms with him about whatever was going on.
We also tried to keep his life as normal as possible, so he could go to school just like any other day on the mornings when I had surgery. I think that¡¯s why he wanted to study something related to cancer when he went to college.
While we didn't let cancer become a little dark cloud hanging over us, he couldn¡¯t help but notice its effects on our family. I¡¯m really proud that my experiences inspired Zach to help others.?
I¡¯m glad we were able to show him that people can live happy lives with cancer, even if it never really goes away. Because none of us gets through life unscathed. We might not be able to control what happens to us, but how we handle those things is entirely up to us.
or by calling 1-877-632-6789.
Kyssi Andrews' three lessons on coping with hair loss
For 5-year-old Khyrstin Andrews, better known as Kyssi, and her mom, Marla, it was just as tough when Kyssi lost her hair the third time as it was the first.
In 2012, Kyssi was diagnosed with a Wilms' Tumor, a type of childhood cancer that affects the kidneys. After undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, she was declared cancer-free. But not long after that, her Wilms' Tumor returned and metastasized to her lungs. She underwent a surgery and an intense type of chemotherapy called ICE (a combination of ifosfamide, carboplatin and etoposide).
In January 2014, Kyssi was declared cancer-free once again. But at her six-month follow-up appointment, doctors found that Kyssi's cancer had returned a third time. As always, Kyssi and her family, friends and and more than , were ready to beat Wilms' Tumor -- and smile while doing it.
Kyssi and Marla, an inseparable pair, know it's important to look on the bright side even on the toughest days, so they decided to make shaving Kyssi's head as fun as possible.
Here are Marla's tips for those helping others cope with hair loss:?
1. Remind them that they're beautiful with or without their hair.
After almost six months of being cancer-free, Kyssi's tight, dark curls were growing back, and she was not excited to lose them yet again.
"Kyssi loves her hair. It's an important part of her. It's an important part of any little girl, or anyone. And Kyssi is a diva," Marla says.
Marla understood just how Kyssi felt. As much as Kyssi didn't want to shave her head, Marla hated seeing her baby girl experience it even more. But after several chemotherapy treatments, she started finding clumps of Kyssi's hair. It covered her pillows and her hair brush. It even got in her mouth. It got on her clothes, and the shedding left her embarrassed in public. She knew it was time to shave Kyssi's head.
She gave Kyssi a pep talk and assured her that it would be better if they cut her hair.
"Most importantly, I just kept assuring her she was going to be beautiful with or without her hair," Marla says.
When asked what she thought of her new look, Kyssi smiles and says, "I think I look beautiful."
Marla then asked her if other people going through cancer treatment should be nervous about losing their hair. Kyssi quickly shook her head. "No, because they'll look beautiful, too," she says.
2. Find a way to make it fun.
Marla decided to make Kyssi's haircut into a fun video shoot instead of a chore. Kyssi complained of a stomachache that morning, but soon after they began making the video, she and Marla were smiling, laughing and singing. Marla even let Kyssi use the hair trimmer to cut the first few pieces of hair.
Marla shared the on Kyssi's Facebook page in two parts, and each one received thousands of messages of support.
But the video wasn't all in fun. Marla says she was also hoping to help others -- especially those preparing for cancer treatment - understand what hair loss is really like.
"They don't give you a class for this," she says. "There's no rule. There's no manual."
3. Show support.
Each time Kyssi saved her head, Marla shaved her head, too. In fact, each time Kyssi has had to do almost anything as a part of her cancer treatment, Marla has done it, too. When Kyssi wears a mask, Marla wears a mask.
"I just don't want her to go feel alone," Marla says. "This experience is like no other. The key to it all is support, love and being happy."
Kyssi chimes in with one of the duo's favorite mantras. She says, "HAPPY IS HEALTHY."
Why choose MD Anderson for Wilms' tumor treatment?
MD Anderson's Children's Cancer Hospital is one of the nation's foremost treatment and research facilities for Wilms' tumors. When your child is a patient here, we customize a plan of action that includes the most advanced therapies with the least impact on the body.
Our renowned experts, including medical, surgical and radiation oncologists and pathologists, work as a highly specialized team to ensure your child receives the best opportunity for successful treatment. They are supported by a focused staff that includes nurses, physician assistants, therapists, social workers and others.
Personalized, expert treatments
This group of professionals follows your child from day one through survivorship. This continuity of care and close communication means comprehensive treatment and follow-up for your child.
Surgical expertise is important to Wilms' tumor treatment. The surgeons at Children's Cancer Hospital are among the best in the nation. They see a higher number of Wilms' tumor patients than most surgeons, giving them an incredible level of skill and expertise. This can make a big difference in the outcome of your child's treatment.
In addition, we offer a number of clinical trials of innovative agents. Some of them are available only at Children's Cancer Hospital. Our active research program is results oriented, evidenced by the fact that we discovered the first successful chemotherapy (vincristine) for children with inoperable Wilms' tumor.
Treating the whole child
Children's Cancer Hospital is designed just for children, with a full range of services and amenities that help make the child and family's experience as comfortable as possible. We go beyond medical care to deliver a comprehensive experience that treats the whole child.
And at Children's Cancer Hospital, your child benefits from the resources and expertise of one of the nation's top cancer centers.
Take it one day at a time and never give up.
