Therapeutic results in stage I Wilms’ tumors in children – 15 years of surgical experience

INTRODUCTION: Progress in the therapeutic management of Wilms’ tumors (WT) in children has resulted in the fact that presently, almost all children with stage I and favorable histology diseases have a chance for a cure. THE AIM OF THE STUDY: The objective of the report is an analysis of therapeutic results in children with unilateral stage I Wilms’ tumors depending on the extent of tumor resection. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The analysis included children treated between 1993 and 2008 under the Polish Wilms’ Tumor Study, initially following the protocol SIOP 93-01 (patients treated up to 2002) and subsequently SIOP 2001. Following neoadjuvant chemotherapy, depending on tumor size and tumor response to treatment, the children were qualified for a radical nephrectomy, simple nephrectomy, or nephron-sparing surgery. Following surgical treatment, all the children were subjected to adjuvant chemotherapy in keeping with the therapeutic protocol obligatory at the time. RESULTS: Within the 15 years, 111 children with Wilms’ tumor were treated; the group included 43 children with stage I disease, which constituted 38.9% of the total number. Radical nephrectomies were performed in three (6.98%) children, simple nephrectomies in 32 (74.42%), and nephron-sparing surgery in eight (18.6%). Regardless of the employed surgical treatment modality, all the children are alive and none have demonstrated recurrent disease. The mean post-treatment completion follow-up period is 73 months (median value, 68 months). CONCLUSION: A simple nephrectomy and, whenever possible, nephron-sparing surgery represents sufficient treatment in 93% of children with stage I Wilms’ tumor. To improve qualification for surgical treatment we propose the employment of NSS for stage Ia Wilms’ tumors and SN for stage Ib Wilms’ tumors.