Wilms Tumor (WT), a solid tumor in the kidney, is the fourth most common cancer in children.
Pediatric cancer researchers agree that WT is commonly found in young children before eight years old, affects girls more than boys, and affects Black children more than other races (Cunningham, 2020). Treatments for WT are available, and children survive over 85% of the time if they receive proper treatment.
Unfortunately, in low- and middle- income countries (LMIC), WT treatments are not as accessible and survival rates are much lower than for high-income countries (HIC) (Cunningham, 2020). Often for WT, delayed diagnosis, limited medical resources, and poor followup, contribute to the lower survival outcome in LMIC. In order to overcome the limits of poor reporting and knowledge about the causes of this rare childhood kidney cancer, CLIC’s team of researchers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) performed a systematic review of all the current studies related to environmental risk factors of Wilms Tumor.
IARC’s Felix Oniyije, Liacine Bouaoun, Roya Dolatkhah, Ann Olsson, and Joachim Schüz, the latter three also active members of the CLIC Data Coordination Center (DCC) team, found 58 studies on WT from five continents (none from Africa). The studies included some research from other CLIC members around the world. The studies included in the systematic review looked at the association between many different factors and WT: birth and parental characteristics, pesticides and other chemicals, radiations, and lifestyle exposures. Of note, the authors found parental occupational exposure to pesticides showed increased risks for Wilms tumour, and breastfeeding and intake of folic acid was protective against Wilms tumour. Association between high birthweight and Wilms tumour was confirmed, and there was a minor relationship between C-section, gestational age <37 weeks, and large birthweight and Wilms Tumor.
Although WT is not the most common cancer that threatens the health and safety of children around the world, and WT studies do not always get the funding nor support that other cancers get (like leukemia), it is still important to learn more about the factors that contribute to WT. CLIC is proud to have scientists from around the world that focus on all aspects of childhood cancers, no matter how rare. Our mission is to find out “Why kids get cancer” so that our studies will help future research on targeted treatments and prevention.
For more information about recent publications from CLIC, see our Research page.
Article Title: Environmental risk factors of Wilms tumour: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Authors: Onyije FM, Dolatkhah R, Olsson A, Bouaoun L, Schüz J.
Published In: EJC Paediatr Oncol. 2024 Dec;4:None. doi: 10.1016/j.ejcped.2024.100178. PMID: 39678930; PMCID: PMC11635095.
Other Citations:
Cunningham ME, Klug TD, Nuchtern JG, Chintagumpala MM, Venkatramani R, Lubega J, Naik-Mathuria BJ. Global Disparities in Wilms Tumor. J Surg Res. 2020 Mar;247:34-51. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2019.10.044. Epub 2019 Dec 3. PMID: 31810638.
