Retinoblastoma and Wilms’ tumor represent two childhood tumors with both sporadic and familial forms. Delineation of the molecular
etiology of these cancers identified the retinoblastoma gene Rb as the first example of a tumor suppressor gene and provided
the first example of imprinting and cancer predisposition in Wilms’ tumor. In this chapter, we review the clinical features
and genetics of these two disorders and the implications for management, early detection and potential prevention of these
disorders.
Keywords Retinoblastoma - Wilms tumor - WT1 gene - RB1 gene - Cell cycle - Beckwith Wiedemann syndrome - WTX gene - Knudsen hypothesis