Wilms tumor is a kidney cancer that mostly affects children under age 5. It's the most common childhood kidney cancer, and treatment — usually surgery plus chemotherapy — cures more than 90% of cases. Most kids are diagnosed when a parent notices a swelling in the belly.
What's actually going on in research
Current trials are testing whether some children can safely receive less treatment, reducing long-term side effects while maintaining cure rates. Researchers are also studying targeted drugs for high-risk Wilms tumor, relapsed disease, and tumors with specific genetic changes. Some studies focus on reducing radiation exposure or finding better imaging to track treatment response.
Treatment reduction studies
For kids with favorable-risk tumors, trials are testing shorter chemotherapy or no radiation to avoid heart, bone, and fertility problems later. Early results suggest many children can be cured with gentler treatment.
Targeted therapy
Trials are testing drugs like bevacizumab for high-risk or relapsed Wilms tumor. These drugs target specific molecules on cancer cells rather than killing all fast-growing cells.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on tumor stage, histology (how the cells look under a microscope), response to initial treatment, and whether this is a new diagnosis or relapse.
What types of trials are currently open
- Treatment reduction trials — Testing whether children with low-risk disease can be cured with less chemotherapy or no radiation, reducing long-term side effects.
- High-risk treatment trials — Testing new drug combinations or targeted therapies for children whose tumors have spread or have unfavorable features.
- Relapse trials — Testing new approaches for children whose cancer comes back after initial treatment.
- Imaging studies — Testing better scans to see how well treatment is working or to spot tumors earlier.
- Long-term follow-up studies — Tracking survivors to understand late effects of treatment and improve care for future patients.
Recently added Wilms Tumor trials
Take infusions of your own immune cells modified to fight leukemia
This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects and best dose of FH-WT1-E50 TCR T cells with azacitidine for the treatment of minimal residual disease (MRD) positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML). T cells are infection fighting blood cells that can kill tumor cells. The T cells given in this study will come from the patient and will have a new gene put in them that makes them able to recognize WT1, a protein on the surface of cancer cells. These WT1-specific T cells may help the body's immune system identify and kill WT1 cancer cells. Azacitidine is in a class of medications called antimetabolites. It works by stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells. Giving FH-WT1-E50 TCR T Cells with azacitidine may be safe and/or effective for the treatment of MRD positive AML.
Take a targeted antibody drug designed for EGFR-positive solid tumors
There is a significant unmet medical need for effective therapies for pediatric relapsed/refractory solid tumors. EGFR is highly and stably expressed in multiple pediatric solid tumor subtypes, and adult Phase I data of Becotatug Vedotin demonstrated a manageable safety profile and promising antitumor activity in EGFR-positive advanced solid tumors.This is a multicenter, non-randomized, single-arm, open-label Phase I clinical trial sponsored by Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC). The trial evaluates the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), immunogenicity, and preliminary efficacy of Becotatug Vedotin-an EGFR-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC)-in pediatric patients with EGFR-positive relapsed/refractory or metastatic solid tumors.
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