Pediatric Solid Tumors

A tumor is an abnormal growth of body tissue or fluid, usually resulting from uncontrolled cell growth.

There are multiple classes or types of tumors. Tumors can be cancerous, sometimes called “malignant,” or noncancerous, also called “benign.”

A solid tumor is an abnormal mass of tissue that creates a single mass or many masses, while liquid tumors circulate throughout the body through the bloodstream. Like other tumors, solid tumors can be malignant or benign. These tumors can affect one part of the body or a number of body systems.

Solid tumors can occur at all ages. They can be found in babies, young children, adolescents and young adults. Some children are born with solid tumors.

Different types of solid tumors tend to occur in different parts of the body. Some tumors have signs and symptoms that make them easier to recognize. Others have fewer specific signs and are often harder to detect. Some children may be very ill when they first develop a solid tumor, but others may not have any symptoms.

Pediatric surgeons at WashU Medicine provide high-quality care to children with solid tumor conditions through a comprehensive solid tumor program. Our surgeons are part of a multidisciplinary team of experts at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, all working together to find the best treatment for your child. We keep up to date on the most recent advances in diagnosing and treating tumors.

What are solid tumors?

Solid tumors are a diverse set of conditions that require specialized approaches to diagnose and treat. Our team provides care for many types of solid tumors.

These conditions often affect more than one system, so our specialists work together to provide the best treatment option for each child. Our team offers treatment to the following and other rare and multi-systemic conditions:

Solid tumor types

• Wilms tumor: a rare kidney cancer, also known as nephroblastoma, that primarily affects children and is the most common pediatric kidney cancer
• Neuroblastoma: a cancer that develops from immature nerve cells located in several areas of the body, most commonly around the adrenal glands
• Soft tissue sarcomas: a broad category of cancers that start in soft tissue, including muscle, tendons, fat, blood vessels and nerves
• Rhabdomyosarcoma: a type of sarcoma that usually emerges in muscle attached to bone, but may happen anywhere in the body
• Non-Rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcomas (NRSTS): soft-tissue sarcomas that are not rhabdomyosarcomas; these may be any cancers, including fibrosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, liposarcoma, neurofibrosarcoma, peripheral nerve sheath tumors and synovial sarcoma
• Mediastinal and chest tumors: tumors that form in the part of the chest that separates the lungs or the chest region
• Germ cell tumors: growths of cells that grow from reproductive cells
• Hepatoblastoma (HB): the most common type of liver cancer in children, made up of malignant cells forming in the liver
• Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): also known as liver carcinoma, a rare and aggressive type of liver cancer
• Hepatocellular adenomas (HCAs): typically associated with underlying liver conditions or syndromes
• Hemangiomas: benign tumors made up of blood vessels
• Hamartomas: benign growths that are made up of disorganized mature tissues of the affected area
• Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH): benign liver lesion that is characterized by a central scar and radiating fibrous septa
• Ewing sarcoma: forms from a certain kind of cell in bone or soft tissue, often affecting children and young adults
• Desmoplastic small round cell tumors (DSRCT): primarily affecting males this type of cancer typically forms in the peritoneum
• Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas (SPN): a very rare type of neoplasm, characterized by an encapsulated mass of cells
• Pancreatic tumors: includes pancreatoblastoma, pancreatic carcinoma and islet cell tumors
• Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs): start in the wall of the stomach or small intestine
• Metastatic tumors: tumors that spread from where they started to another distant part of the body
• Ovarian tumors: can form in infants, young children and adolescents on one or both ovaries

Learn more about childhood cancer care at Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

What to expect

When you come to St. Louis Children’s Hospital, you and your child will see a cancer specialist and a surgeon. The team will evaluate your child’s condition and work with you to choose a care plan that works best for both patient and family. Your child’s case will be presented in front of dozens of doctors and other medical professionals at a tumor board.

St. Louis Children’s Hospital provides access to minimally invasive techniques, which means that recovery for your child may be faster and easier. Our solid tumor program also offers many novel techniques for surgery, such as heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) procedures, which use the latest advances in cancer care.