An evaluation of 10 years' experience with retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for Wilms' tumor

Abstract During a 10-year period, periaortic lymph node dissection was performed on 20 consecutive patients with Wilm's tumor who did not have evidence of distant metastases. Six of 7 patients (86 per cent) with positive nodes are still alive with a followup greater than 2 years for 5 of the 6 survivors. The survival rate for the group of bilateral tumors and those with distant metastases was 31 per cent. The overall survival rate for 37 patients admitted to the hospital with Wilm's tumor including those with known metastases or recurrence following previous operation elsewhere was 68 per cent. On the basis of this limited experience, it is suggested that retroperitoneal periaortic lymph node dissection be carried out as a part of the operation for Wilms' tumor when there is no demonstrable distant metastases.