The diagnosis and management of Wilms' tumor

Wilms' tumor is the most frequent malignant tumor of the kidney in infants and children. Effective treatment requires abdominal exploration with nephrectomy and administration of postoperative combination chemotherapy, with abdominal irradiation employed only for the treatment of microscopic or gross residual abdominal disease. Current therapeutic research is focused on improving therapy for certain patient groups, such as those with sarcomatous tumors, who continue to have a poor prognosis, and designing less toxic treatment programs for those patients who currently have a favorable prognosis.