Progress in treatment of Wilms' tumor in Hungary

Great improvement in the rate of prolonged survival or cure have occurred in Hungary in recent years. This improvement was the result of organizing a multimodal therapy program. In 1976, the Hungarian Pediatric Oncology Working Group was formed and 10 regional centers were organized. Survival rates for Wilms' tumor in Hungary now approximate the internationally accepted rates for these patients. This report dramatizes the value of a multimodal interdisciplinary therapy program for children with cancer, particularly those with Wilms' tumor. The experience in Hungary should encourage physicians in other underdeveloped areas of the world to organize similar programs for the care of cancer in children.