# Long-Term Follow-Up of Surgical Outcomes for Patients With Wilms Tumor and Neuroblastoma — GCMD Library

<i>Jo Cooke-Barber, Federico Scorletti, Beth Rymeski, Debra Eshelman-Kent, Rajaram Nagarajan, Karen Burns, Todd Jenkins, Roshni Dasgupta</i><div><i><br></i></div><div><b>Background:</b> There are minimal data on long-term surgical outcomes of patients who have undergone resection for Wilms tumor (WT) and neuroblastoma (NB).</div><div><br></div><div><b>Methods:</b> A retrospective review of patients in a long-term survivor clinic between the years 1967 and 2016 in a pediatric tertiary care hospital (>5 years posttreatment) was performed.</div><div><br></div><div><b>Results:</b> Eighty-six survivors of WT and 86 survivors of NB who had ongoing follow-up in the survivors' clinic were identified. The median age at diagnosis was 2.5 years (range, 0.4-15.7 years) with a mean follow-up of 22.3 years (±10.4 years) for WT. The median age at diagnosis for patients with NB was 0.9 years (range, 0.1-8.6 months); mean follow-up of 21.7 years (±7.9 years). Twelve patients with WT (14.0%) had at least 1 repeat laparotomy, 11.1% for bowel obstruction, at a median of 3 months from initial surgery. Twelve patients (14.0%) with NB required laparotomy and 8.1% for bowel obstruction, at a median of 12 years after initial surgery. The incidence of hypertension in patients with WT who had undergone nephrectomy was not outside of population norms. Patients who underwent thoracotomy for a NB have a higher incidence of scoliosis and Horner syndrome.</div><div><br></div><div><b>Conclusions:</b> Small bowel obstruction requiring laparotomy is significantly higher than the literature norms for both tumor patient populations and typically occurs in the early postoperative period for patients with WT and remotely in patients with NB. The long-term surgical complications of patients who underwent resection for NB and WT clearly merit follow-up and patient education within multidisciplinary long-term survivorship clinics.</div>

Type: video · 1 min · posted 2026-02-27
Canonical: https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/long-term-follow-up-of-surgical-outcomes-for-patients-with-wilms-tumor-and-neuroblastoma-11581

## Chapters
- [0:00](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/long-term-follow-up-of-surgical-outcomes-for-patients-with-wilms-tumor-and-neuroblastoma-11581?t=0) Long-Term Surgical Outcomes in Wilms Tumor and Neuroblastoma Survivors

## Statements
- "This single institution cohort followed survivors for a mean of 27 years after open oncologic resection for Wilms tumor and neuroblastoma" — Sophia Schermerhorn (epidemiological) [0:11](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/long-term-follow-up-of-surgical-outcomes-for-patients-with-wilms-tumor-and-neuroblastoma-11581?t=11)
- "14% of patients required a repeat laparotomy" — Sophia Schermerhorn (epidemiological) [0:20](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/long-term-follow-up-of-surgical-outcomes-for-patients-with-wilms-tumor-and-neuroblastoma-11581?t=20)
- "The most common indications for repeat laparotomy were small bowel obstruction or tumor recurrence" — Sophia Schermerhorn (clinical) [0:21](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/long-term-follow-up-of-surgical-outcomes-for-patients-with-wilms-tumor-and-neuroblastoma-11581?t=21)
- "In Wilms tumor, obstruction typically occurred within the first year" — Sophia Schermerhorn (clinical) [0:26](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/long-term-follow-up-of-surgical-outcomes-for-patients-with-wilms-tumor-and-neuroblastoma-11581?t=26)
- "In neuroblastoma, obstruction often developed more than a decade later, well beyond routine follow-up" — Sophia Schermerhorn (clinical) [0:29](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/long-term-follow-up-of-surgical-outcomes-for-patients-with-wilms-tumor-and-neuroblastoma-11581?t=29)
- "Radiation dose was not associated with re-operation risk" — Sophia Schermerhorn (clinical) [0:34](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/long-term-follow-up-of-surgical-outcomes-for-patients-with-wilms-tumor-and-neuroblastoma-11581?t=34)
- "Secondary malignancy was uncommon in this cohort" — Sophia Schermerhorn (epidemiological) [0:37](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/long-term-follow-up-of-surgical-outcomes-for-patients-with-wilms-tumor-and-neuroblastoma-11581?t=37)
- "Hypertension after nephrectomy was not increased compared to population norms" — Sophia Schermerhorn (clinical) [0:37](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/long-term-follow-up-of-surgical-outcomes-for-patients-with-wilms-tumor-and-neuroblastoma-11581?t=37)
- "Scoliosis occurred in roughly 10 to 13% of patients, higher than the general population" — Sophia Schermerhorn (epidemiological) [0:45](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/long-term-follow-up-of-surgical-outcomes-for-patients-with-wilms-tumor-and-neuroblastoma-11581?t=45)
- "Scoliosis has multi-factorial contributors including surgery and possibly radiation" — Sophia Schermerhorn (clinical) [0:45](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/long-term-follow-up-of-surgical-outcomes-for-patients-with-wilms-tumor-and-neuroblastoma-11581?t=45)
- "Even decades after treatment, these patients remain at risk for late complications that warrant long-term counseling and follow-up" — Sophia Schermerhorn (guideline) [0:58](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/long-term-follow-up-of-surgical-outcomes-for-patients-with-wilms-tumor-and-neuroblastoma-11581?t=58)

## Transcript
You just surgically treated your patient with Wilms tumor or neuroblastoma. Now what? Hi, I'm Doctor Sophia Skerhorn from Cincinnati Children's, and this study examines long-term surgical outcomes in survivors of Wilms tumor and neuroblastoma. This single institution cohort followed survivors for a mean of 27 years, offering rare insight into late surgical sequelae after open oncologic resection. 14% of patients. Required a repeat laparotomy, most commonly for small bowel obstruction or tumor recurrence. In Wilm's tumor, obstruction typically occurred within the first year. However, neuroblastoma, it often developed more than a decade later, well beyond routine follow-up. Radiation dose was not associated with this re-operation risk. Additionally, secondary malignancy was uncommon in this cohort, and hypertension after nephrectomy was. Not increased compared to the population norms. Finally, scoliosis occurred in roughly 10 to 13% of patients, higher than the general population, with multi-factorial contributors including surgery and possibly radiation. The takeaway is that surgical care does not end at resection. Even decades after treatment, these patients remain at risk for late complications that warrant long-term counseling and follow-up.

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