Symptoms of Wilms tumour

Wilms tumour may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages. Signs and symptoms often appear as the tumour grows and causes changes in the body.

The signs or symptoms of Wilms tumour include:

  • a painless lump in the abdomen
  • swelling of the abdomen
  • blood in the urine (called hematuria)

Wilms tumour can also cause symptoms that are very common in other health conditions. These are signs and symptoms of Wilms tumours that are much more likely to be caused by other health conditions:

  • nausea
  • loss of appetite
  • upset stomach or pain in the abdomen
  • constipation
  • fever
  • high blood pressure
  • anemia
  • fatigue
  • shortness of breath

Expert review and references

  • American Cancer Society. About Wilms Tumour. 2016.
  • American Cancer Society. Early Detection, Diagnosis and Staging of Wilms Tumour. 2016.
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology. Wilms Tumor - Childhood. 2016.
  • Wilms' tumour (kidney cancer in childhood). Cancer Research UK. CancerHelp UK. Cancer Research UK; 2012.
  • Children's & Women's Health Centre of British Columbia. Kidney. British Columbia Children's Hospital - Oncology, Hematology and BMT. Children's & Women's Health Centre of British Columbia; 2003.
  • Children's Hospital Boston. Wilms tumor. Children's Hospital Boston - My Child Has.... Boston, MA: Children's Hospital Boston; 2007.
  • Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
  • Drigan, R. and Androkites, A.. Wilms Tumor. Baggott, C. R., Kelly, K. P., Fochtman, D. et al. Nursing Care of Children and Adolescents with Cancer. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: W. B. Saunders Company; 2002: 26: pp.568-574.
  • Duffey-Lind, E. Tumours of the kidney. Kline, N. E. (Ed.). Essentials of Pediatric Oncology Nursing: A Core Curriculum. 2nd ed. Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses; 2004: 2.10:46-49.
  • Fernandez C. et al. Renal tumors. Pizzo, P. A. & Poplack, D. G. (Eds.). Principles and Practice of Pediatric Oncology. 5th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2011: 29:861-908.
  • Fernandez CV, Geller JI, Ehrlich PF et al. Renal Tumors. Pizzo PA & Poplack DG (eds.). Principles and Practice of Pediatric Oncology. 7th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer; 2016: 29:753-768.
  • Hendershot E. Renal tumours. Tomlinson, D. & Kline, N. E. Pediatric Oncology Nursing: Advanced Clinical Handbook. Germany: Springer; 2005: 2.7: 57-61.
  • Wilms tumor. Janes-Hodder, H. & Keene, N. Childhood Cancer - A Parent's Guide to Solid Tumor Cancers. 2nd ed. O'Reilly; 2002: 9:137-149.
  • National Cancer Institute. Wilms Tumor and Other Childhood Kidney Tumors Treatment (PDQ®) Patient Version. 2017.
  • National Cancer Institute. Wilms Tumor and Other Childhood Kidney Tumors Treatment (PDQ®) Health Professional Version. 2017.
  • Wilms tumor in children. National Childhood Cancer Foundation & Children's Oncology Group. CureSearch. Bethesda, MD: 2011.
  • Wilms' Tumor: The Basics. University of Pennsylvania. OncoLink. Reviewed ed. University of Pennsylvania; 2008.

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