Kidney Cancer Treatment

In the United States, about 60,000 people are diagnosed with kidney cancer every year, representing between 4% and 5% of all cancers diagnosed. Most of these cases happen in people ages 65 - 74, and men are twice as likely as women to develop kidney cancer. Risk factors include smoking, obesity and high blood pressure.

Although blood in the urine can be a sign of kidney cancer, early kidney cancers usually do not have symptoms. Many people are diagnosed through computerized tomography (CT) scans or other imaging scans performed for unrelated reasons. Tests to confirm a kidney cancer diagnosis can include ultrasound, MRI, urine and blood tests and needle biopsy.

When kidney tumors are detected at an early stage, a large majority of patients achieve long-term survival. According to the National Cancer Institute, the 5-year survival rate is 78% following a kidney cancer diagnosis.

Types of Kidney Cancer

There are several types of kidney cancer, with the most common being renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Renal cell carcinoma usually develops as a single tumor in one kidney, but it may develop as two or more tumors and can affect both kidneys. This cancer typically begins in the lining of very small tubes in the kidney called renal tubules.

There are several types of RCC, with the most common being clear cell renal cell carcinoma, also known as ccRCC. Collectively, RCC accounts for accounts for 85% to 90% of all adult kidney cancers.

Other, less common types of kidney cancer include:

• Transitional cell cancer, also known as urothelial carcinoma, represents about 7% of kidney cancers. It usually begins in the area where the ureter and the kidney meet. This area is called the renal pelvis.
• Renal sarcoma is a rare type of kidney cancer, accounting for about 1% of primary kidney cancers. It begins in the blood vessels and connective tissues in the kidneys.
• Wilms tumor, also called nephroblastoma, is a kidney cancer that almost always happens in children. It affects just 0.2% of adults.

Kidney Cancer Treatment

In the past, the most common approach to treating kidney cancer was to remove the entire organ. As diagnostic imaging technologies like CT have become more sophisticated and more widely used, more kidney tumors are being identified at an early stage. Physicians are increasingly able to treat just the tumor rather than removing a kidney.

Treatment options vary, depending on each patient’s individual disease and health issues. An organ-sparing approach to treating kidney cancer can help a patient avoid some long-term potential side effects, especially for patients who already suffer from diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular disease.

The Prostate and Urologic Cancer Program offers a full range of surgical and interventional techniques for treating kidney tumors while preserving as much healthy organ tissue as possible. Our kidney cancer specialists perform a high volume of kidney cancer procedures.

• Ablation Treatment
  • Percutaneous Cryoablation
  • Laparoscopic Cryoablation
  • Open Cryoablation
• Surgical Treatment
  • Partial Nephrectomy
  • Radical Nephrectomy
• Care for Metastic Kidney Cancer
  • Targeted Chemotherapy
  • Radiation Therapy
  • Palliative Embolization
  • Osteoplasty

Clinical Trials for Kidney Cancer

Drug therapy for kidney cancer is a rapidly evolving field, and there are many promising targeted drug therapies in development. Our urologic cancer specialists at are actively involved in national trials to evaluate new medications. Certain drug therapies are only available through these investigational studies. To find out more, view our list of kidney cancer clinical trials.

Genetic Screening

While most cases of kidney cancer are “spontaneous,” some are associated with specific genetic syndromes. Individuals with a strong family history of kidney tumors may benefit from genetic counseling through our Cancer Genetics Screening Program.