Surgery is the most common treatment for kidney cancer. The type of surgery used depends on the location and severity of the cancer. If the tumor is small, doctors may remove only the tumor and a small portion of the surrounding tissue. If the tumor is larger, doctors may perform a nephrectomy, which is the removal of the whole kidney and some surrounding tissue. In some cases, it may also be necessary to remove the adrenal gland or nearby lymph nodes. Regardless of how much of the kidney is removed, surgery may be performed using one of two methods. Sometimes, surgery may be an open operation, which involves making a large cut to access the kidney. In other cases, surgeons may choose to perform the surgery laparoscopically, which involves inserting a camera and small tools through several tiny incisions and accessing the kidney that way.
Kidney Cancer Treatment
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Sigma Nursing answeredSee All 2 AnswersThe most common treatment for kidney cancer is surgery. The type of surgery done depends on the severity of the cancer. For people with a very small tumor, or for people who only have one kidney, doctors may remove just the tumor and a small part of the surrounding tissue. For others, doctors often perform radical nephrectomy, which involves removing the entire kidney and occasionally some surrounding tissue, including the adrenal gland and nearby lymph nodes; or they may be able to perform simple nephrectomy, which is removal of only the kidney. If surgery is too risky, doctors may perform other procedures, including arterial embolization, which involves blocking the blood flow to the kidney in order to shrink the tumor. These procedures may be followed by chemotherapy or radiation therapy to kill any remaining cancer cells.
If the kidney cancer has begun to spread, there are other treatment options available. One option is biological therapy, or immunotherapy, which uses drugs like interferon to encourage the body's immune system to attack the cancer. Drugs may also be used in the form of targeted therapy, in which drugs block the signals in cancer cells that tell them to grow.
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National Kidney Foundation answeredA radical nephrectomy is removal of an entire kidney. When used to treat small tumors, radical nephrectomy has been shown to increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular complications. Even though a partial nephrectomy is the preferred surgical method, according to a recent research study, more than 25% of people with kidney cancer surveyed were not told about the benefits of this type of operation. -
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Intermountain Healthcare answeredIn fact, 90% of kidney cancers today can be treated using laparoscopy or other minimally invasive techniques.Because most renal cancers today are found accidentally during ultra sound or CT imaging the size of tumors found today is much smaller than over the past 20 years. These smaller tumors can usually be treated using small incisions during laparoscopically instead of the larger incision used many years ago. A laparoscopic approach causes less pain, less scarring, and a more rapid return to normal activity compared to open incisions. Make sure you ask your surgeon if he or she can do kidney surgery laparosocpically and if not requent a consultation with a surgery trained in laparoscopic techniques. -
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Aurora Health Care answeredSee All 3 AnswersWhile surgery remains the principal treatment approach for kidney cancer, advances in surgical techniques, including minimally invasive alternatives, give patients more options. Other treatments may be offered when surgery may not be an option.
Treatments for kidney cancer include:- Radical nephrectomy: The most common form of surgery for kidney cancer involves removal of the entire kidney. This can be done by an open incision made in the patient's side and the kidney removed. It may also be approached through small incisions inserted into the abdomen near the kidneys with a scope or a surgical robot. Video and surgical instruments are passed through tubes to remove the kidney.
- Partial nephrectomy: Removing only the cancerous part of the kidney may be an option if the tumor is small (less than 7 centimeters) and confined to the top or bottom of the organ. One advantage is that it preserves your kidney function. This type of surgery can be done by minimally invasive surgery techniques using small incisions and a laparoscope or surgical robot.
- Arterial embolization: When your health does not allow surgery, this procedure involves injecting a special material into your artery that provides the blood supply to the cancerous kidney. The kidney and tumor are deprived of blood flow, causing both to die. At a later date, if your health permits, the kidney is surgically removed.
- Cryoablation: Similar to RFI, this minimally invasive procedure uses gas instead of radio frequency to essentially freeze cancerous tumors.
- Cancer immunotherapy: High-dose interleukin-2 treatment is available for patients with metastatic kidney cancer.
- Targeted therapy: uses drugs or other substances that can find and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells. Anti-angiogenic agents are a type of targeted therapy that may be used to treat advanced kidney cancer. These agents keep blood vessels from forming in a tumor, causing the tumor to starve and stop growing or to shrink.
- Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is the use of cancer-fighting drugs and is frequently used in combination with other therapies.
- Clinical trials: New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials. Ask your doctor if a clinical trial is available for your type of cancer.
- Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy is delivered to kidney cancer cells but is mostly used in patients where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
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National Kidney Foundation answeredLaparoscopic surgery for kidney cancer is minimally invasive surgery performed through small incisions. It is becoming a more common option for treating kidney cancer. A laparoscope (a tube-like instrument with a tiny camera and forceps to remove the kidney) is passed through small openings in the abdomen to remove all or part of the kidney. The procedure is called laparoscopic nephrectomy. The advantages of laparoscopic surgery include a shorter hospital stay, faster recovery and less postoperative pain.
Laparoscopy can be used for both radical and partial nephrectomies (kidney removals), and it achieves the same goals as traditional open surgical techniques. -
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Aurora Health Care answeredNon-surgical treatments for kidney cancer include:
- Arterial embolization: When your health does not allow surgery, this procedure involves injecting a special material into your artery that provides the blood supply to the cancerous kidney. The kidney and tumor are deprived of blood flow, causing both to die. At a later date, if your health permits, the kidney is surgically removed.
- Cryoablation: similar to RFI, this minimally invasive procedure uses gas instead of radio frequency to essentially freeze cancerous tumors.
- Cancer Immunotherapy: high-dose interleukin-2 treatment is available for patients with metastatic kidney cancer.
- Targeted therapy: Uses drugs or other substances that can find and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells. Anti-angiogenic agents are a type of targeted therapy that may be used to treat advanced kidney cancer. These agents keep blood vessels from forming in a tumor, causing the tumor to starve and stop growing or to shrink.
- Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is the use of cancer-fighting drugs and is frequently used in combination with other therapies.
- Clinical trials: New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials. Ask your doctor if a clinical trial is available for your type of cancer.
- Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy is delivered to kidney cancer cells but is mostly used in patients where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
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Sometimes if someone has a single kidney with a very large tumor, we take out the kidney and actually remove cancer, while the kidney is out, then we reconstruct the kidney and put it back inside your body, in your groin, just like a kidney transplant. This is called an auto transplant. We don’t give patients cadaveric transplants for kidney cancer per se.
It’s rare that someone who needs a kidney removed has to go on dialysis or has significant renal failure to the point that he or she would be a candidate for a transplant. It does occur, but it is extremely uncommon. You really only need one-half to one-third of one good kidney to stay off dialysis or not need a transplant, so most of the time we’re able to accomplish this without renal failure.