Wilms' Tumor: Treatment Options

How is it treated?

Wilms' Tumor may be treated with Surgery, Chemotherapy, and Radiation Therapy. The physician may choose to combine these treatments depending on the stage of the cancer.

Surgery for Wilms' Tumor

Surgery for Wilm's Tumor generally involves the removal of the entire kidney in addition to the cancer. This surgery also removes the ureter, the adrenal gland located above the kidney, and some fatty tissue around the kidney. The surgeon may also remove lymph nodes next to the kidney since cancer often spreads to these nodes.

Possible Side Effects from Surgery

The side effects of surgery for Wilms' Tumor may include:

• Pain
  
• Weakness
  
• Damage to Blood Vessels, Kidneys, or Other Organs, or Nerves
  

These side effects are temporary and may be relieved by medication.

Other Treatments

• Chemotherapy is a systemic or whole body, treatment, the goal of which is to kill any remaining Cancer cells in the body and to keep the Cancer from spreading to other organs. The drugs are typically given in cycles of a few days of treatment and then 3-4 weeks to rest, for a period of weeks or months determined by the oncologist. Chemotherapy may be accompanied by Radiation Therapy. There are two ways chemotherapy can be administered, depending on patient health and the drugs being used:
  
  • Pill form: Chemotherapy pills are available for some drugs and allow the patient to remain at home for the entire treatment.
    
    
  • Intravenous: The most common method of chemotherapy, intravenous injections are usually given on an outpatient basis at the hospital or treatment center. Patients who are in very poor health or have severe side effects may need to remain in the hospital for a few days.
    
  
  
• Radiation Therapy, also called Radiotherapy, uses high-energy rays, directed by a large machine toward the particular location of the cancer, to destroy cancer cells. A patient may go to a clinic or hospital 5 days a week for several weeks to receive radiation therapy. This treatment is mostly used for Wilms' Tumor in more advanced stages.
  
  
• Clinical Trials are research studies conducted in order to determine the effectiveness and side effects of new treatments. There are always new experimental treatments being tested that often have promising results. The effectiveness and side effects of clinical trials are not always known, but they can sometimes offer hope of survival. Consult your physician or the Rhode Island Cancer Council to find out what clinical trials are going on near you and if you are eligible.
  

Possible Side Effects from Non-Surgical Treatments

*Most side effects are temporary and can often be relieved with medication.*

The side effects for Wilms' Tumor treatments are mostly temporary. There is an increased risk of developing a second cancer, however, with Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy. However, the importance of these treatments far outweighs the possible risk.

• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy symptoms vary with the drugs being used and among individuals; however, the following are some common side effects:
  
  

  Nausea/Vomiting	Hair loss
  Fatigue	Increased risk of infection
  Fever	Easy bruising/bleeding
  Tingling in the fingers and toes	Ringing in the ears/difficulty hearing
  Increased risk of developing a second cancer in the future

  
  Many of these symptoms are temporary and should cease shortly after treatment is stopped.
  
  

  Radiation Therapy: As with chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy side effects are different for everyone, and are usually specific to the areas exposed to the rays. Common side effects include:
  

  • Fatigue
    
  • Skin irritation in the area treated
    
  • Permanent bronzing of the skin of the treated area
    
  • Nausea/vomiting
    
  • Damage to organs and tissue in treated area
    
  • Increased risk of developing a second cancer in the future
    

  The side effects of radiation therapies are usually temporary, and symptoms should disappear once treatment stops.

  
  
  

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  See also:

  Other Wilms' Tumor Information: Wilms' Tumor: The Facts Wilms' Tumor: Treatment Options Cancer Info: Wilms' Tumor Kidney Cancer: The Facts Kidney Cancer: Treatment Options Cancer Info: Kidney Cancer Glossary of Cancer Terms Urologists Cancer Forum

  
  

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