Collaborative approach to caring for children with urologic tumors

The Division of Urology and the Cancer Center at CHOP are consistently ranked among the top pediatric programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report's Best Children’s Hospitals survey.

We partner with programs throughout CHOP to offer expert multidisciplinary care for your child. For example, in cases of pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare cancer but the most common type of malignant soft tissue sarcoma, we collaborate with specialists from CHOP’s Cancer Center to take a team approach to treatment.

CHOP urologists also work closely with the Solid Tumor Program and radiation oncology colleagues to provide each child with the best possible outcomes.

Personalized treatment plans

Considerations for treatment include a personalized approach based upon the age of the patient, the location of the tumor, the type of tumor, and the extent of the disease present. Treatment programs potentially include a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. We see many patients with tumors of the genitourinary tract, allowing for constant improvement in care and techniques.

Advanced techniques and tools

CHOP urologic surgeons have access to cutting-edge tools that help them plan out the optimal way to perform each surgery. For complex procedures such as nephron-sparing surgery (partial nephrectomy) in cases of bilateral Wilms tumor (for which the only alternative is bilateral nephrectomy), in cases of multifocal unilateral disease, or with Wilms predisposition syndromes, these tools can reduce the amount of time a patient is under anesthesia and can prevent a patient from needing dialysis or a kidney transplant in the future.

3D modeling to remove a tumor

Patient-specific 3D models made from MRI scans help CHOP urologic surgeons see exactly where a tumor is and how it sits next to important structures like arteries, veins and other organs. These models let doctors look at the anatomy from different angles. They can also adjust the model by adding or removing parts to better understand how everything connects.

Many tumors that are considered complex — and might normally require removing the whole kidney — can still be treated with kidney-sparing surgery at CHOP.

Our very accurate imaging gives us clear pictures of the body’s structures. We also use special blood tests when a boy going through puberty has a testicular mass. This is because boys in puberty are more likely to have a mass that could be cancer than boys who have not yet started puberty.