In a remarkable medical feat, Israeli doctors successfully removed a massive tumor weighing 1.3 kilograms from a four-year-old toddler, the Emek Medical Center in Afula said on Tuesday.
“The tumor, which constituted over seven percent of the girl’s body weight, was discovered after the child’s mother noticed abdominal swelling and hardness during bath time,” explained Dr. Marc Arkovitz, director of the hospital’s pediatric surgery department.
Subsequent imaging tests revealed a sizable mass, measuring 16 by 12 centimeters, in the right kidney — an exceedingly rare condition for a child of this age, Arkovitz stressed.
Following the successful surgery, which also involved removing infected lymph nodes, the toddler remarkably recovered within a day in the pediatric intensive care unit.
“She quickly resumed normal activities, eating, and playing, demonstrating the resilience of pediatric patients,” Arkovitz said.
The toddler will continue her treatment journey under the care of the hospital’s pediatric oncology unit. Dr. Sergey Postovsky, Emek’s director of pediatric oncology, said the tumor, known as Wilms tumor, accounts for only four percent of childhood cancer cases. Despite its rarity, Emek has treated six children with similar tumors in the past two years.
The exact cause of Wilms tumor is not fully understood, but it is believed to involve genetic mutations that occur early in fetal development. With treatment, the overall survival rate is around 90%.
Postovsky said the girl’s treatment plan includes chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and ongoing medical monitoring.
“The combination of these treatments, coupled with the successful surgery, offers a promising prognosis for the child’s recovery,” Postovsky said.