Challenges and opportunities of a multi-institutional treatment
guideline for Wilms tumor in low-middle-income countries – A report
from the Asociación de Hemato-Oncología Pediátrica de Centro América
(AHOPCA)
Abstract
Since 2000, centers across Central America have shared treatment
guidelines for Wilms tumor, using histology (anaplasia present or
absent) and tumor stage to stratify patients into low, intermediate, and
high-risk groups. Weekly virtual tumor board meetings involving local
and international experts were held to ensure consistent treatment
assignments. We analyzed data from 367 children with unilateral tumor
treated per these guidelines. Five-year abandonment-sensitive event-free
and overall survival estimates were: low-risk 82% ±3.8% and 86%
±3.6%, intermediate-risk 50% ±3.4% and 60% ±3.4%, and high-risk
36% ±7.6% and 45% ±7.9%. Survival outcomes were suboptimal,
primarily due to advanced disease in fragile children at presentation
and abandonment of treatment.