From the Research
Adult Wilms tumor is an extremely rare condition, accounting for less than 1% of all adult kidney cancers, with a prevalence that is difficult to determine due to its rarity and potential misdiagnosis as other renal cancers. While Wilms tumor (nephroblastoma) is the most common renal malignancy in children, affecting approximately 1 in 10,000 children, its occurrence in adults over 18 years of age is exceptionally uncommon 1. The exact prevalence is difficult to determine due to its rarity and potential misdiagnosis as other renal cancers. Adult Wilms tumor typically presents between ages 20-40, with no significant gender predilection.
Key Characteristics of Adult Wilms Tumor
- The rarity of this condition often leads to delayed diagnosis and treatment, as it's not routinely considered in the differential diagnosis of adult renal masses.
- This contributes to adults generally having a poorer prognosis than children with the same condition.
- The biological behavior and genetic profile of adult Wilms tumor may differ from pediatric cases, though research is limited due to the small number of cases available for study 2.
Diagnosis and Treatment
- The preoperative diagnosis of nephroblastoma in adults is difficult because there are no specific radiographic findings that allow to distinguish it from the more common adult renal tumors 2.
- Histopathologically, there is no difference between adult and childhood Wilms' tumor.
- Modern treatment regimens improved overall survival (OS) in this group of patients, with OS rates of 90% 2.
- However, the prognosis remains worse for about 25% of patients with anaplastic, bilateral, and recurrent disease.
- Due to the fact that nephroblastoma is a very rare type of cancer, adult patients should be treated in an individual way based on the available schemes used in children 2.