Children who have birth defects known to occur with Wilms tumor should have a physical exam done by a specialist and an ultrasound (a test that uses sound waves and a computer to make images of internal organs. Ultrasound exams are usually done every 3 months until the child reaches 6 or 7 years old. They are used to find any kidney tumors when they are still small and have not yet spread to other organs. You should tell your health care provider if you have relatives who have had Wilms tumor. If you have, the other children in the family may need to have regular ultrasound exams.

Because Wilms tumors are so rare – 8 per 1 million children under age 15 – it is not practical to recommend ultrasound exams as a screening test (a test used for early diagnosis of a disease in people with no signs or symptoms of that disease) if your child has no Wilms tumor risk factors. Tthere are no blood tests or other tests that are useful in screening otherwise healthy children for Wilms tumors.

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EditText of this page (last edited December 29, 2009)