Effective Options For Treating Wilms' Tumor

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is typically used for patients with stage three, four, or five of Wilms' tumor. It is often not necessary for earlier stages of the disease, and doctors only use it in those cases if it is determined an unfavorable histology is present. For Wilms' tumor, most patients receive external beam radiation therapy, where the patient lies on a table while a machine rotates around them to deliver radiation to specific areas. Radiation is most often done in cycles of five days per week for several weeks. Each daily session lasts about fifteen to thirty minutes, and the treatment is painless. Light sedation may be used to help younger patients remain still during the radiotherapy treatments. A plastic mold contoured to the child's body may be placed underneath the child as they lie on the treatment bed. This mold ensures the child is placed in the same position for each treatment, allowing radiologists to deliver the radiation with greater precision. Since young children are very sensitive to the effects of radiation, doctors try to use it for the shortest amount of time possible. Potential short-term side effects include fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, and sunburn or other reactions on the skin over the treated area. Long-term side effects include kidney damage, heart or lung problems, damage to the ovaries, abnormal menstrual cycles, and possible infertility.

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