In the Netherlands pediatric oncological care for solid tumours is concentrated in one centre since November 2014. One of the most frequently diagnosed solid non-brain tumours in children is the neuroblastoma. Results of surgical treatment of neuroblastoma since the start of this centralization are presented and compared to a historic cohort. The new national cohort of neuroblastoma (n = 111) consists of all consecutive patients treated between January 1st^, 2015 and April 1st^, 2021. The historic neuroblastoma cohort consists of all operated neuroblastoma patients in the Netherlands between 1998 and 2014 (n = 244). Intra-operative complications and surgical outcome were registered. Post-operative complications were divided in short (30 days). The severity of complications was graded using the Clavien Dindo Classification (CDC) system. Intraoperative outcomes showed significant differences in favour of the new cohort with less blood loss (p < 0.001), fewer vascular complications (p < 0.001) and shorter duration of surgery (p < 0.001). Short term complications were comparable in numbers, but significantly more patients had CDC grade 3/4/5 complications in the historic cohort (p = 0.005). Long term complications did not differ. Estimated overall survival showed a better survival in the new cohort (log rank 0.022). Centralization of care for neuroblastoma patients has led to a significant improvement of both intraoperative outcomes and short term complications.

Nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) in Wilms tumor (WT) patients is a surgically challenging procedure used in highly selective cases only. Virtual resections can be used for preoperative planning of NSS to estimate the remnant renal volume (RRV) and to virtually mimic radical tumor resection. In this single-center evaluation study, virtual resection for NSS planning and the user experience were evaluated. Virtual resection was performed in nine WT patient cases by two pediatric surgeons and one pediatric urologist. Pre- and postoperative MRI scans were used for 3D visualization. The virtual RRV was acquired after performing virtual resection and a questionnaire was used to assess the ease of use. The actual RRV was derived from the postoperative 3D visualization and compared with the derived virtual RRV. Virtual resection resulted in virtual RRVs that matched nearly perfectly with the actual RRVs. According to the questionnaire, virtual resection appeared to be straightforward and was not considered to be difficult. This study demonstrated the potential of virtual resection as a new planning tool to estimate the RRV after NSS in WT patients. Future research should further evaluate the clinical relevance of virtual resection by relating it to surgical outcome.

Survival rates are excellent for children with Wilms tumor (WT), yet tumor and treatment-related complications may require pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission. We assessed the frequency, clinical characteristics, and outcome of children with WT requiring PICU admissions in a multicenter, retrospective study in the Netherlands. Admission reasons of unplanned PICU admissions were described in relation to treatment phase. Unplanned PICU admissions were compared to a control group of no or planned PICU admissions, with regard to patient characteristics and short and long term outcomes. In a multicenter cohort of 175 children with an underlying WT, 50 unplanned PICU admissions were registered in 33 patients. Reasons for admission were diverse and varied per treatment phase. Younger age at diagnosis, intensive chemotherapy regimens, and bilateral tumor surgery were observed in children with unplanned PICU admission versus the other WT patients. Three children required renal replacement therapy, two of which continued dialysis after PICU discharge (both with bilateral disease). Two children died during their PICU stay. During follow-up, hypertension and chronic kidney disease (18.2 vs. 4.2% and 15.2 vs. 0.7%) were more frequently observed in unplanned PICU admitted patients compared to the other patients. No significant differences in cardiac morbidity, relapse, or progression were observed. Almost 20% of children with WT required unplanned PICU admission, with young age and treatment intensity as potential risk factors. Hypertension and renal impairment were frequently observed in these patients, warranting special attention at presentation and during treatment and follow-up.