Wilms tumor: 15 years of experience at a children's hospital in Córdoba, Argentina

Abstract

The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology, clinical presentation, treatment and nephrology follow-up of children with Wilms tumor. Data from 46 patients were collected. The clinical presentation occurred at a young age (< 40 months old), with initial symptoms of pain, abdominal mass, and fever. The prevalent histology type was mixed nephroblastoma. All patients received pre-surgery chemotherapy followed by, in most cases, unilateral nephrectomy. Patients with a high histological risk had a 7.2 relative risk of death (75 % confidence interval: 1.5-33.7) compared to the rest, and a 2.5 relative risk of recurrence (75 % confidence interval: 1.0-6.4). Disease-free survival at 5 years was 70 %. Once cancer treatment was completed, 80 % of patients maintained a stage-I kidney function. The most important prognostic factor was histology. These patients required a long-term nephrology follow-up.