# Update Course Rewind: Updates in Wilms Management 2024 — GCMD Library In this session from the 12th Annual Update Course in Pediatric Surgery, Dr. Bhargava Mullapudi (Children’s Mercy Kansas City) presents updated strategies in Wilms tumor management, exploring how tumor biology and global guidelines are shaping decisions on surgery vs chemotherapy first.

Key Highlights:

This presentation underscores the importance of precision medicine in Wilms tumor care—and how treatment pathways increasingly rely on molecular markers, not just stage and weight.
Type: video · 4 min · posted 2025-09-03 Canonical: https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937 ## Chapters - [0:00](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=0) Introduction and Case Presentation - [1:17](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=77) Case Management and Genetic Markers - [2:43](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=163) Biology-Driven Treatment Decisions - [3:30](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=210) Summary of Treatment Paradigms ## Statements - "European colleagues would offer chemotherapy without biopsy for suspected Wilms tumor" (guideline) [0:53](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=53) - "At COG (Children's Oncology Group) sites in North America, the approach would be resection at diagnosis" (guideline) [1:00](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=60) - "Adding doxorubicin would be indicated even for a low stage tumor under certain conditions" (clinical) [1:17](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=77) - "Loss of heterozygosity is the loss of genetic diversity in tumor cells" — Lizzie Lee (clinical) [1:54](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=114) - "In Wilms tumor, loss of heterozygosity can indicate more aggressive disease" — Lizzie Lee (clinical) [1:58](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=118) - "Gain of 1Q refers to an extra copy of a section of chromosome 1, which is linked to worse outcomes in some cancers" — Lizzie Lee (clinical) [2:02](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=122) - "Doxorubicin should be added when there is loss of heterozygosity at 1P and 16Q" — Bargaba Mulaudi (clinical) [2:18](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=138) - "Loss of heterozygosity at 1P and 16Q shows higher recurrence" — Bargaba Mulaudi (clinical) [2:25](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=145) - "For surgeons, there will be more waiting for biology results before determining if chemotherapy is needed" (clinical) [2:43](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=163) - "When considering port placement, there will be more of a wait-and-see approach to review biologic markers" (clinical) [2:51](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=171) - "It is not accurate to tell families that patients under 2 years of age with tumors under 550g will not need chemotherapy, because biology studies may change that determination" — Bargaba Mulaudi (clinical) [2:56](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=176) - "Chemotherapy must be added if there is loss of heterozygosity at 1P and 16Q" — Bargaba Mulaudi (clinical) [3:09](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=189) - "According to Children's Oncology Group updates, adverse biologic factors are associated with worse prognosis in stage 2 patients" — Lizzie Lee (guideline) [3:15](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=195) - "Adverse biologic factors are not associated with worse prognosis in stage 1 favorable histology Wilms tumor patients" — Lizzie Lee (guideline) [3:15](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=195) - "Even with stage 1 favorable histology, chemotherapy is still added if there is loss of heterozygosity" — Bargaba Mulaudi (clinical) [3:26](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=206) - "The North American Children's Oncology Group approach often involves immediate surgery" — Lizzie Lee (guideline) [3:37](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=217) - "The European Society of Pediatric Oncology approach typically starts with chemotherapy before surgery" — Lizzie Lee (guideline) [3:37](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=217) - "Genetic markers like loss of heterozygosity at specific chromosomes can indicate a higher risk of cancer recurrence" — Lizzie Lee (clinical) [3:49](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=229) - "Genetic markers guide decisions about adding chemotherapy treatments" — Lizzie Lee (clinical) [3:49](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/update-course-rewind-updates-in-wilms-management-2024-10937?t=229) ## Transcript Surgery first or chemo first? Would you risk changing the order for Wilm's tumor patients if it could change the outcome? We discuss it here in today's video. Hello pediatric surgery family. I'm Lizzie Lee from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Today we will dive into new approaches for Wilm's tumor management with Doctor Bargaba Mulaudi from Children's Mercy, Kansas City. Let's see our first case. We have a 19 month old male present with a newly noted right-sided abdominal swelling, decreased PO intake. Ultrasound, CT scan, very suspicious for WILMs. The patient's imaging is classic for WIMs. Let's see the poll results from the combined live and virtual audience. Most would do A. Most of the audience would do a resection with a close second choice being chemotherapy. When you look at the audience poll, the reason it was pretty split is because this is an international poll. Our European colleagues would offer chemotherapy, no biopsy, and of course, that's where the data differ. If it was strictly. In North America or COG sites, then it would be very much a resectionate diagnosis. This highlights the key differences between treatment approaches worldwide, which include the COOG or Children's Oncology Group, and the CEO Society of Pediatric Oncology guidelines. It also would impact the chemotherapy answer because you would add doxycycline even for a low stage tumor. Exactly. And uh, so looking at the clinical scenario, we did successfully resect that margins were. Negative, mass weighs about 728 g. Pathology showed blastoma local stage 2 Wilms tumor because it involves the renal, sinus, lymphovascular spaces. Overall, this histology is favorable. Cytogenetics, it's negative for loss of heterozygosity, 1B16Q. What do we need to know about loss of heterozygosity and what significance of gain of one? Heterozygosity is the loss of genetic diversity in the tumor cells. In Wilm's tumor, this. Can indicate more aggressive disease. Gain of 1Q refers to an extra copy of a section of chromosome 1, which is linked to worse outcomes in some cancers. Let's see what the audience thinks would be the next best step. The majority of the audience chose to give vincristine and dactinomycin. I would go with C too. I think the one reason you would add doxorubicin to keep in mind, have loss of heterozygosity at 1P and 16Q. That is important to remember because that's the one that shows higher. Occurrence when you have loss of heterozygosity. Let's switch up the parameters of the clinical scenario. Now, the tumor is stage 1, weighs 450 g, and has loss of heterozygosity. How would we approach this differently? For the surgeons, there's gonna be a lot more of waiting for the biology before you determine if chemotherapy is needed. As you're thinking about placing the port, there's gonna be more of wait and see what all these biologic markers look like. Absolutely, and that's how your patient-family discussion should continue. Not just say, if you're less than 2 years of age, if you're less than 550 g, you will not need chemotherapy because that's not accurate based on your biology studies. You will have to add chemotherapy if you have loss of heterozygosity 1P16Q. The Children's oncology group updates stated that adverse biologic factors are associated with worse prognosis in stage 2 patients, but not in stage 1 favorable history of Wilms tumor patients. But if you have some of the loss of heterozygosity, we're still adding chemotherapy. In summary, there are 2 major guidelines for treating Wilm's tumor, leading to differences in treatment decisions worldwide. The North American Children's Oncology Group approach, which often involves immediate surgery, and the European Society of Pediatric Oncology approach, which typically starts with chemotherapy before surgery. Genetic markers like loss of heterozygosity at specific chromosomes can indicate a higher risk of the cancer recurrence and guide decisions about adding chemotherapy treatments. Globalcast MD along with Cincinnati Children's Hospital, sharing knowledge to improve child health around the globe. --- Not medical advice · citation policy: https://library.globalcastmd.com/ai