Kidney Cancers in Children
Approximately one hundred children and adolescents (aged 0 to 19) are diagnosed with renal tumors each year, accounting for 7% of pediatric cancers. Pediatric renal tumors include Wilms tumors (WT, the most common form), renal cell carcinoma, clear cell sarcoma of the kidney, mesoblastic nephroma, rhabdoid tumors, and other rarer cancers. Total nephrectomy with adequate lymph node sampling, with or without preoperative chemotherapy, is universally the cornerstone of treatment for pediatric renal tumors. Conservative surgery, which preserves the healthy part of the kidney, was first described in 1957 in the case of bilateral WT. This therapeutic approach allows for the preservation of minimal renal function.
In recent years, this protocol has been expanded to other renal tumors, which are systematically found in adults.
Preoperative tumor evaluation and surgical strategy planning generally rely on conventional imaging techniques, mainly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT). However, the complex relationships between the tumor and various adjacent structures, as well as the renal anatomy, can be difficult to ascertain from these images alone, especially with large tumors distorting the kidney.
About the Project
Three-dimensional (3D) technologies, well known in the film industry, are increasingly being used in the medical field, with promising results in adults. However, few studies have been conducted in children.
Surgery for kidney tumors in children most often leads to the complete removal of the diseased kidney. In adults, the use of 3D technologies allows for better surgical planning and thus encourages the preservation of the healthy part of the affected kidney, which is not currently practiced in children.
The main objective of this project is to demonstrate that the use of innovative 3D technologies (3D printing and projection) is feasible for pediatric renal tumors. It will also showcase the precision of these technologies in describing the tumor and their usefulness in surgical planning. This is a non-interventional project where already performed CT and MRI images will be collected anonymously from five recognized French pediatric surgical centers specializing in pediatric oncology. The 3D technologies will be implemented by teams proficient in these techniques. The innovative use of 3D technologies could help in surgical planning and achieve better preservation of kidney function, thus providing a better quality of life for children.
Project Follow-up:
Start Date: 2024
Project Summary
- Sponsor: CHU Armand Trousseau, APHP, Sorbonne University
- Principal Investigator: Dr. Sabine Irtan
- Number of Patients: 75
- Program Duration: May 2024 – May 2026
- Countries Involved: France
- Funding by Imagine for Margo: €59,500
This trial has been co-financed by the Rallye du Cœur de Paris 2024.
