What are the most common types of Pediatric Genitourinary Cancer?
The most common types of pediatric genitourinary cancer include:
Wilms tumors are the most common type of childhood kidney cancer. Nearly 90% of children who have kidney cancer have Wilms tumors (also called nephroblastoma). These tumors can form in one or both kidneys. They tend to appear before a child’s fifth birthday and are almost always detected by age 10.
Germ cell tumors
Germ cell tumors typically form in a boy’s testicles or a girl’s ovaries, but rarely may arise outside of these organs. Germ cell tumors are most common in adolescence but can occur at any age. These tumors may be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
What are Pediatric Genitourinary Cancer treatments?
With proper treatment, the survival rate for children with genitourinary cancers is as high as 90%. Each child has a dedicated care team that includes urologists, pathologists, general surgeons and radiologists who meet monthly to review your child’s treatment plan and progress. Treatment may involve a combination of approaches including:
Chemotherapy
Your child may receive chemotherapy before surgery to shrink the tumor (called neoadjuvant chemo) or after surgery to eliminate lingering cancer cells.
Surgery
We specialize in advanced surgical procedures to treat these cancers. When possible, we use minimally invasive techniques that require smaller incisions. As a result, your child experiences less pain and scarring and recovers faster.
Radiation therapy
A small number of children may require radiation therapy as part of their initial therapy or if the cancer spreads or comes back (recurrence).
Providers who practice at Children's Health℠ see a large number of children with genitourinary cancers every year. Families seek us out for our depth of experience treating these diseases and our high treatment success rates.
Additional programs and support
In addition to comprehensive treatments, our patients have access to the largest childhood cancer survivor program, ACE, in North Texas, featuring lifelong care to help your child stay healthy long-term. We’re also home to a cancer genetics program for children who have a family history of genitourinary cancers or a genetic condition that increases cancer risk.