At Global Voices in Renal Oncology (VIRO) 2025, organized by OncoDaily, Dr. Paul A. Merguerian, Division Chief of Pediatric Urology at Seattle Children’s Hospital, delivered a lecture on “Surgical Management of Renal Tumors in Children and Young Adults.”
He emphasized that, according to recent studies, treatment of Wilms tumor based on histology and biology will play an increasingly important role in future management. Dr. Merguerian reviewed the current standards, including the use of CT scans of the chest and abdomen, and highlighted the critical role of surgeons in determining tumor resectability, minimizing tumor spill, and performing intraoperative staging with lymph node sampling.
He also discussed the value of biomarkers for prognosis and accurate diagnosis, while noting that in many cases biopsies do not significantly change management. Dr. Merguerian presented examples of lymph node sampling techniques and addressed how tumor size influences complications.
Additional topics included the role of laparoscopic approaches, as well as multimodality treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He also provided clinical examples of metastatic Wilms tumor, particularly cases with pulmonary metastases.
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