title: Controversies in the management of Wilms' tumor.
abstract: Wilms' tumor is the most common malignant renal tumor of childhood; it represents 5% to 6% of childhood cancers in the United States. The survival rate of children with Wilms' tumor has improved dramatically, partly due to large multicenter studies conducted by the National Wilms' Tumor Study Group and the International Society of Pediatric Oncology. To ensure optimal patient outcome, the surgical management of these patients must be appropriate. Controversial issues in the management of Wilms' tumor include the value of preoperative chemotherapy; whether pre-resection biopsy is indicated and if so, how this is best performed; indications for partial nephrectomy; the treatment of low-risk patients with surgery only; and the reliability of preoperative imaging to assess the contralateral kidney.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Texas-Houston Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Blakely
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ritchey
mesh_terms: D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002648:Child; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D006801:Humans; D009396:Wilms Tumor / Q000628:therapy*