Sometimes it is helpful to have a second opinion about the diagnosis and the Wilms' tumor treatment plan. While some insurance companies require a second opinion, others may cover a second opinion if the patient or doctor requests it.
Wilms' Tumor Treatment: Treatment Options
The doctor is the best person to describe the Wilms' tumor treatment choices and to explain the expected results. The doctor and the child's parents should work together to develop a Wilms' tumor treatment plan that fits the child's needs.
Treatment options for Wilms' tumor may include:
Surgery (taking out the cancer in an operation)
Chemotherapy (using drugs to kill cancer cells)
Radiation therapy (using x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells).
Wilms' Tumor Treatment: Surgery
Surgery is a common treatment for Wilms' tumor. Doctors may remove the cancer by using one of the following Wilms' tumor surgery options, which include:
Partial nephrectomy
Simple nephrectomy
Radical nephrectomy.
Partial Nephrectomy
In a partial nephrectomy, the surgeon will remove only the part of the kidney that contains the tumor. This operation is usually used only in special cases, such as when the other kidney is damaged or has already been removed.
Simple Nephrectomy
In a simple nephrectomy, the surgeon will remove the whole kidney. The kidney on the other side of the body can take over filtering blood.
Radical Nephrectomy
In a radical nephrectomy, the surgeon will remove the whole kidney with the tissues around it. Some lymph nodes in the area may also be removed.
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