[Wilms' tumors: the actual standpoint (author's transl)]

Treatment results in children with Wilms' tumors have remarkably improved during the past ten years. This is the most important aspect in modern Wilms' tumor research. Further, new etiologic factors have been identified. Modern diagnostic procedures (with special reference to an eventual preoperative treatment), aspects of "staging" and "grading", the changed prognosis and handling of bilateral tumors, the identification of infantile congeners of Wilms' tumors and the often realized optimal interdisciplinary cooperative treatment have allowed to design the former mostly fatal tumors as outstanding in clinical oncology. This paper summarizes the recent data available from the literature; several problems remain unresolved. Among open questions are a better preoperative diagnosis, standardization of treatment of stage-IV-patients, determination of the role of adriamycin in chemotherapy, and the comprehensive and thorough study of late effects.