My parents remember the worst parts - my first chemo treatment, when I received chemical burns and had to go through physical therapy and the overwhelming fear they felt each time a child in the clinic did not survive. Wilms' tumor, or nephroblastoma, is the most common intra-abdominal tumor of childhood and the most frequent type of renal cancer, occurring in about 1 per 200,000 to 250,000 children. Peak incidence of Wilms' tumor is at three years of age. It is one of childhood cancers that show an increased incidence among siblings and identical twins and it is associated with certain congenital defects, reflecting evidence of genetic inheritance. Most often this tumor is diagnosed after the parents notice a painless mass in the flank or abdomen.
Some children have abdominal pain, hematuria, anorexia, vomiting, weight loss and fever.
The tumor remains encapsulated for an extended period, so care must be taken to avoid palpation of the abdomen. Manipulation of the mass may cause dissemination of cancer cells. Diagnosis is confirmed with physical exam, patient and family history, abdominal ultrasound, CT, hematological and biochemical studies, and urinalysis. When Jennifer Williams was 3 years old, she began to experience pain on the right side of her abdomen. Her pediatrician detected A lump in her side and referred her to Dr. Walter Cain at Children's Hospital.