Pediatric solid malignancies: Neuroblastoma and Wilms' tumor

Neuroblastoma and Wilms' tumor are two of the most common extracranial solid malignancies in infants and children. Despite intense basic science and clinical investigations, the overall survival for patients with advanced-stage neuroblastoma remains dismal. In Wilms' tumor, recent advances in the preoperative imaging have changed the operative approach to the routine contralateral kidney exploration. This article reviews the pathology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of neuroblastoma and Wilms' tumor.