The diagnosis of kidney cancer also includes determining the stage of the disease. The process of staging in kidney cancer involves conducting imaging tests and CT scans to detect how far the disease has spread. The choice of tests prescribed depends on the symptoms. Let’s look at the stages and treatment of kidney cancer:
Stages of kidney cancer
There are four stages of kidney cancer:
- Stage I: At this stage, the diameter of the tumor is only 7 centimeters. Also, since the disease is in the early stages, the cancer cells are present only inside the kidney.
- Stage II: At this stage, the size of the tumor is bigger, but it has not spread outside the kidney.
- Stage III: This stage is characterized by the tumor being large enough to have extended beyond the kidney to the nearby lymph nodes.
- Stage IV: At this stage, cancer has already aggravated and spread to the different organs and lymph nodes around the body. Some of the organs that are affected by kidney cancer at this stage are the lungs, liver, and bones.
Treatment
The stages and treatment of kidney cancer are related, as the treatment method is decided by the doctor on the basis of the severity of the disease. Some common forms of treatment are:
Surgery
This is the primary form of treatment adopted in most cases of kidney cancer. The primary goal of the surgery is to remove the tumor from the kidney and restore the organ’s functionality. Some of the surgical methods used for the treatment of kidney cancer are:
- Nephrectomy: The entire kidney is removed from the body.
- Partial nephrectomy: The tumor, along with a small section of the healthy tissue surrounding it, is removed.
Non-surgical treatments
In some cases, non-surgical methods of treatment are used, including:
- Cryoablation: The affected cancer cells are frozen in this treatment method.
- Radiofrequency ablation: In this treatment, heat is used to burn or destroy the cancerous cells.
The non-surgical treatment methods are ideal for people who have small tumors in the kidney or cannot undergo surgery.
Treatment for recurrent and advanced kidney cancer
In cases of recurrent kidney cancer that has spread across the body and is usually incurable, effective treatment methods can be used to control it. Some treatment measures include:
- Surgery for removing the tumor from the kidney as far as possible
- Biological therapy involving medications that employ the immune system for combating cancer
- Targeted therapy
- Radiation therapy
Regardless of the treatment method selected, clinical trials are mandatory. Depending on the stage and treatment for kidney cancer, a doctor will inform an individual about the requisite clinical trials to ensure that the applied treatment is effective for them for fighting the disease.
