epidemiology
Last reviewed 01/2018
Wilms' is the most common malignancy of renal origin in children and accounts for approximately:
- 20% of all childhood malignancies
- 50% of all malignancies during infancy
Eighty percent occur before the age of 5 years, with a peak incidence at 2-3 years. The left kidney is affected more commonly than the right, with ten percent are bilateral. Boys are affected more commonly than girls. The incidence is approximately 1 in 10,000 live births which amounts to about 70 new cases per year in the UK.
All bilateral tumours and 15% of unilateral tumours are thought to be inherited.