WHAT IS WILMS TUMOR? Most parents cant think of anything more frightening than being told their child has cancer. Wilms tumor most often occurs in just one kidney, though it can sometimes be found in both kidneys at the same time. Wilms tumor doesnt always cause signs and symptoms. Children with Wilms tumor may appear healthy. Its not clear what causes Wilms tumor. Doctors know that cancer begins when cells develop errors in their DNA. The errors allow the cells to grow and divide uncontrollably and to go on living when other cells would die. The accumulating cells form a tumor. In Wilms tumor, this process occurs in the kidney cells. In a small number of cases, the errors in DNA that lead to Wilms tumor are passed from parents to children. In most cases, there is no known connection between parents and children that may lead to cancer. Instead, something happens in the childs early development that causes DNA errors and leads to Wilms tumor. Improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of Wilms tumor have improved the prognosis for children with this disease. The outlook for most children with Wilms tumor is very good.
Posted on: Sat, 23 Aug 2014 03:17:39 +0000
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