A study looking at the long term effects of treatment for children and adults who have had Wilms' tumour that had spread to their lungs (LEG 2004 06)

This study is looking at the long term effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy for children and adults with Wilms’ tumour.

Wilms’ tumour is a type of kidney cancer that mainly affects children and some adults (although this is rare). Fortunately, most people are cured. Wilms’ tumour is usually treated with surgery, chemotherapy and sometimes radiotherapy. If the cancer is advanced and has spread to their lungs, children and adults will have chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy to their lungs.

As more people get better from their Wilms’ tumour, researchers are now looking at the long term effects of the treatment you have had. They are trying to find out if radiotherapy to the lungs and, or chemotherapy may have affected the way your lungs now work.

There is a possibility that these treatments may lead to later problems with general health, ability to exercise and risk of developing other medical illnesses or conditions in the future. But doctors are not definitely sure if this happens or to what degree.

The information collected in this study will help doctors to improve the way they follow your progress after their treatment. For example, it may influence the way outpatient appointments and tests are arranged for future patients.

The results of this study may also help doctors to improve future treatment for Wilms’ tumour, while also reducing the side effects.