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Kidney Cancer

Treatment

 


TREATMENT OPTIONS BY STAGE


Stage I Kidney Cancer

Stage II Kidney Cancer

  • Surgery (radical nephrectomy or partial nephrectomy).
  • Surgery (nephrectomy), before or after radiation therapy.
  • Radiation therapy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms in patients who cannot have surgery.
  • Arterial embolization as palliative therapy.
  • A clinical trial of a new treatment.

Stage III Kidney Cancer

  • Surgery (radical nephrectomy). Blood vessels of the kidney and some lymph nodes may also be removed.
  • Arterial embolization followed by surgery (radical nephrectomy).
  • Radiation therapy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life.
  • Arterial embolization as palliative therapy.
  • Surgery (nephrectomy) as palliative therapy.
  • Radiation therapy before or after surgery (radical nephrectomy).
  • A clinical trial of biologic therapy following surgery.

Stage IV and Recurrent Kidney Cancer

  • Targeted therapy alone or after biologic therapy.
  • Biologic therapy alone or after surgery (nephrectomy) to reduce the size of the tumor.
  • Arterial embolization as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life.
  • Radiation therapy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life.
  • Surgery (nephrectomy) as palliative therapy.
  • Surgery (radical nephrectomy, with or without removal of cancer from other areas where it has spread).
  • A clinical trial of chemotherapy.

 

Glossary

  • Partial nephrectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the cancer within the kidney and some of the tissue around it. A partial nephrectomy may be done to prevent loss of kidney function when the other kidney is damaged or has already been removed.
  • Simple nephrectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the kidney only.
  • Radical nephrectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the kidney, the adrenal gland, surrounding tissue, and, usually, nearby lymph nodes.
  • Palliative therapy: Treatment given to relieve the symptoms and reduce the suffering caused by cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
  • Arterial embolization: The blocking of an artery by a clot of foreign material. This can be done as treatment to block the flow of blood to a tumor.

 

Reference:

National Cancer Institute, USA.

 

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