Wilms'
Tumor is the most common
pediatric cancer of the
kidney (4% of all pediatric cancer cases, 93% of pediatric kidney cancers) which arises from
nephroblasts - cells involved in
prenatal kidney development. It typically appears before age five, and manifests as a
mass within the kidney. Signs include abdominal pain, bloody
urine and raised
blood pressure. Treatment generally consists of removal of the affected kidney, preceded or followed by
chemotherapy and localized
radiotherapy.
Susceptibility to Wilms' Tumor seems to be heritable, though the genetic basis is poorly understood. A gene, WT1, which is linked to some cases, appears to be involved in urogenital and kidney development, and also may have a role in the development of prostate cancer.
Sources: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb/lcdc/bc/children/other6_e.html (Health Canada), http://www.cancerbacup.org.uk/info/child-wilms.htm (CancerBACUP.org.uk), and PubMed searches for "Wilms tumor" and "WT1".