Wilms tumour
Last updated 6 Mar 2025
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Wilms tumour is a form of kidney cancer that primarily develops in children. Nearly all cases of Wilms tumour are diagnosed before the age of 10, with two-thirds being found before age 5.
Description
Wilms tumour is a form of kidney cancer that primarily develops in children. Nearly all cases of Wilms tumour are diagnosed before the age of 10, with two-thirds being found before age 5.
Wilms tumour is often first noticed because of abdominal swelling or a mass in the kidney that can be felt upon physical examination. Some affected children have abdominal pain, fever, a low number of red blood cells (anaemia), blood in the urine (hematuria), or high blood pressure (hypertension). Additional signs of Wilms tumour can include loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, and tiredness (lethargy).
Wilms tumour can develop in one or both kidneys. About 5 to 10 percent of affected individuals develop multiple tumours in one or both kidneys. Wilms tumour may spread from the kidneys to other parts of the body (metastasize). In rare cases, Wilms tumour does not involve the kidneys and occurs instead in the genital tract, bladder, abdomen, chest, or lower back. It is unclear how Wilms tumour develops in these tissues.
With proper treatment, children with Wilms tumour have a 90 percent survival rate. However, the risk that the cancer will come back (recur) is between 15 and 50 percent, depending on traits of the original tumour. Tumours usually recur in the first 2 years following treatment and develop in the kidneys or other tissues, such as the lungs. Individuals who have had Wilms tumour may experience related health problems or late effects of their treatment in adulthood, such as decreased kidney function, heart disease, and development of additional cancers.
Inheritance patterns
The source lists the following possible inheritance patterns: Autosomal dominant; X-linked dominant; Not inherited. More than one pattern can apply in different cases.
Related genes
Other names
Embryonal adenosarcoma
Embryonal nephroma
Kidney Wilms tumour
Kidney, adenomyosarcoma, embryonal
Kidney, carcinosarcoma, embryonal
Kidney, embryoma
Kidney, embryonal mixed tumour
Nephroblastoma
Nephroma
Renal adenosarcoma
Renal cancer, Wilms
Renal Wilms tumour
Tumour, Wilms
Wilms' tumour
Related patient information and medicines
Patient information leaflet
Wilms' tumour
A Wilms' tumour is a type of kidney cancer that usually affects young children. Wilms' tumours can appear in older children and adults but this is very rare. A Wilms' tumour is also known as a nephroblastoma Wilm's tumour is the most common type of kidney cancer in children but is very rare. About 80 children ... What is a Wilms' tumour. A Wilms'.
Patient information leaflet
Children's cancers
Problems with development in the womb Some childhood cancers such as a type of kidney cancer (Wilms' tumour) and a type of eye cancer (retinoblastoma) start before the baby is born. Kidney cancer About 9 in 10 kidney cancers in children are called Wilms' tumour (also known as nephroblastoma). Wilms' tumours account for about 5 in 100 of childhood.
Patient information leaflet
Kidney cancer
These are cells which line the renal pelvis, ureters and bladder. Transitional cell cancer is common in the bladder but in some cases it develops in the renal pelvis. Wilms' tumour and clear cell sarcoma of the kidney are types of kidney cancer which develop only in children. See the separate leaflet called Cancer for more general information.
Patient information leaflet
Types of cancer
...ancer Hodgkin's Lymphoma Kidney Cancer Leukaemia Lung Cancer Mouth Cancer (Oral Cancer) Neck Lumps and Bumps Neuroblastoma Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Oesophageal Cancer Ovarian Cancer Pancreatic Cancer Penile Cancer Primary Bone Cancer Primary Liver Cancer Prostate Cancer Retinoblastoma Rhabdomyosarcoma Scrotal Lumps, Pain and Swelling Melanoma.
Patient information leaflet
Visual problems
Rarer cause of visual loss There are many rarer causes of visual loss, some caused by infections (such as fungi), inflammation (such as sarcoidosis ) or damage to the optic nerve by medicines, street drugs or chemicals, including meths (methanol). Brain or eye tumour Brain or eye tumours are rarely the cause of loss of vision. tumourHowever,.
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Vitreous haemorrhage
Vitreous haemorrhage is bleeding into the jelly-like filling of the back part of your eye. This substance is the vitreous humour. It helps the eye keep its shape and is normally clear, allowing light from outside the eye to pass through it to reach the retina. What is the vitreous humour. The vitreous humour is a clear jelly-like substance that.
Further reading and references
- Wilms tumour; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- Al-Hussain T, Ali A, Akhtar M. Wilms tumor: an update. Adv Anat Pathol. 2014 May;21(3):166-73. doi: 10.1097/PAP.0000000000000017.
- Deng C, Dai R, Li X, Liu F. Genetic variation frequencies in Wilms' tumor: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Cancer Sci. 2016 May;107(5):690-9. doi: 10.1111/cas.12910. Epub 2016 Mar 18.
- Gadd S, Huff V, Walz AL, Ooms AHAG, Armstrong AE, Gerhard DS, Smith MA, Guidry Auvil JM, Meerzaman D, Chen QR, Hsu CH, Yan C, Nguyen C, Hu Y, Hermida LC, Davidsen T, Gesuwan P, Ma Y, Zong Z, Mungall AJ, Moore RA, Marra MA, Dome JS, Mullighan CG, Ma J, Wheeler DA, Hampton OA, Ross N, Gastier-Foster JM, Arold ST, Perlman EJ. A Children's Oncology Group and TARGET initiative exploring the genetic landscape of Wilms tumor. Nat Genet. 2017 Oct;49(10):1487-1494. doi: 10.1038/ng.3940. Epub 2017 Aug 21.
- Kalish JM, Doros L, Helman LJ, Hennekam RC, Kuiper RP, Maas SM, Maher ER, Nichols KE, Plon SE, Porter CC, Rednam S, Schultz KAP, States LJ, Tomlinson GE, Zelley K, Druley TE. Surveillance Recommendations for Children with Overgrowth Syndromes and Predisposition to Wilms Tumors and Hepatoblastoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2017 Jul 1;23(13):e115-e122. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-17-0710.
- Salvatorelli L, Parenti R, Leone G, Musumeci G, Vasquez E, Magro G. Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) protein: Diagnostic utility in pediatric tumors. Acta Histochem. 2015 May-Jun;117(4-5):367-78. doi: 10.1016/j.acthis.2015.03.010. Epub 2015 Apr 14.
- Tian F, Yourek G, Shi X, Yang Y. The development of Wilms tumor: from WT1 and microRNA to animal models. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2014 Aug;1846(1):180-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2014.07.003. Epub 2014 Jul 11.
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