Epidemiology

Globally, the age‐standardised incidence rate (ASR) of Wilms' tumour is 7.5 per million.[1] South Asia has the lowest ASR of 3.6 per million; North America and Western Europe have the highest ASRs of 8.5 per million and 9.6 per million, respectively.[1]

In the US, approximately 7% of new cancers diagnosed each year in children aged <15 years are renal cancers; approximately 80% of these are Wilms' tumour.[15] The incidence of Wilms' tumour in the US is highest in non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native and non-Hispanic black children (8.6 and 8.1 per million, respectively, age-adjusted incidence rates 2017-2021) and lowest in Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander children (3.7 per million).[16]​ Incidence rates are higher in females than for males (6.4 vs. 5.5 per million, 2017-2021 data). The incidence of Wilms' tumour has remained relatively stable over time.[2][16]

Wilms' tumour most commonly occurs in the first 5 years of life (median age at diagnosis is 4 years).[2][3] Bilateral disease tends to present at a slightly younger age (median age at diagnosis <2 years) than unilateral disease and is more prevalent in patients with a Wilms' tumour predisposition syndrome.[1][6]​ Approximately 21% of patients have metastatic disease at presentation; lungs are the most common site for metastases.[3]

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