Outcomes of Wilms tumor therapy in Lilongwe, Malawi, 2016-2021: Successes and ongoing research priorities

Introduction: Wilms tumor therapy in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) relies on treatment protocols adapted to resource limitations, but these protocols have rarely been evaluated in real-world settings. Such evaluations are necessary to identify high-impact research priorities for clinical and implementation trials in LMICs. The purpose of this study was to identify highest priority targets for future clinical and implementation trials in sub-Saharan Africa by assessing outcomes of a resource-adapted treatment protocol in Malawi.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of children treated for Wilms tumor with an adapted SIOP-backbone protocol in Lilongwe, Malawi between 2016 and 2021. Survival analysis assessed variables associated with poor outcome with high potential for future research and intervention.

Results: We identified 136 patients, most commonly with stage III (n = 35; 25.7%) or IV disease (n = 35; 25.7%). Two-year event-free survival (EFS) was 54% for stage I/II, 51% for stage III, and 13% for stage IV. A single patient with stage V disease survived to 1 year. Treatment abandonment occurred in 36 (26.5%) patients. Radiotherapy was indicated for 55 (40.4%), among whom three received it. Of these 55 patients, 2-year EFS was 31%. Of 14 patients with persistent metastatic pulmonary disease at the time of nephrectomy, none survived to 2 years. Notable variables independently associated with survival were severe acute malnutrition (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.9), increasing tumor stage (HR: 1.5), and vena cava involvement (HR: 3.1).

Conclusion: High-impact targets for clinical and implementation trials in low-resource settings include treatment abandonment, late presentation, and approaches optimized for healthcare systems with persistently unavailable radiotherapy.