Effective Options For Treating Wilms' Tumor

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of intravenous or oral chemicals to destroy cancer cells throughout the body. It can be used before surgery to shrink tumors, and after surgery to destroy cancer cells that may be circulating in the bloodstream. Chemotherapy is also used for patients with tumors that have spread to areas other than the kidneys. For early-stage Wilms' tumors, vincristine and dactinomycin are the most commonly used chemotherapy medications. They are given intravenously, and initially, patients receive them every week. As chemotherapy progresses, the drugs are given every two to three weeks. In more advanced cancer cases, a combination of doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, carboplatin, etoposide, and ifosfamide may be added to vincristine and dactinomycin. Most patients receive chemotherapy in specialist outpatient centers, though some may receive it in the hospital. Common chemotherapy side effects include nausea, hair loss, vomiting, diarrhea, increased risk of infections, constipation, changes in taste, and tingling in the hands and feet.

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