Recovery & Support for Wilms Tumor

At NYU Langone’s Stephen D. Hassenfeld Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, our specialists address your family’s needs after your child receives a diagnosis of Wilms tumor. Our experts include pediatric oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, nurses, and wellness experts. They provide psychological and other types of assistance during your child’s treatment and recovery.

Post-Treatment Screening

To monitor for a possible relapse of the cancer, your child’s doctor recommends a follow-up screening schedule. Depending on how advanced the cancer was at diagnosis and the type of treatment your child received, the doctor may recommend certain tests, including a physical exam, blood work, urine tests, CT scans, ultrasounds, and X-rays.

Rehabilitation

Children who have chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery for Wilms tumor may experience fatigue, weakness, and neurological problems, such as numbness in the fingers and toes. Pediatric rehabilitation experts at NYU Langone’s nationally renowned Rusk Rehabilitation offer treatments, including pain management, physical therapy, and counseling.

Wellness Services

Experts at Stephen D. Hassenfeld Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders offer daily wellness programs for children, siblings, and parents to help them cope with treatment. They include art therapy, horticulture therapy, massage, music therapy, pet therapy, psychological services, sibling support groups, yoga, and more. Our medical librarians, social workers, and therapists can provide your family with additional support and information during treatment and recovery. These child and family support services and resilience programs are provided by Sala Institute for Child and Family Centered Care.

Relapse

Although many children with a Wilms tumor achieve remission, in which there is an absence of the signs and symptoms of cancer, some children experience a relapse. In this case, your child’s NYU Langone pediatric oncologist creates a treatment plan, which typically includes chemotherapy.

Your NYU Langone pediatric oncologist may recommend that your child participate in a clinical trial for an experimental treatment for a relapsed Wilms tumor. In a clinical trial, doctors test new and promising medical treatments.

NYU Langone is a member of the Children’s Oncology Group, a National Cancer Institute–supported organization that brings together thousands of experts from around the world to research and test new treatments for childhood cancers, including Wilms tumor.