Kidney Cancer Treatment

Surgery involves removing the tumor and some of the surrounding healthy tissue during surgery. If cancer did not extend beyond the kidneys, surgery to remove the tumor may be the only treatment required. Surgery to remove the tumor can mean removing some or all of the kidney, as well as possibly surrounding tissues and lymph nodes.

The types of surgery that are used for renal cancer treatment in India include:

1. Radical Nephrectomy

Surgery for the removal of the tumor, the whole kidney, and the surrounding tissue is called a radical nephrectomy. If the surrounding tissues and lymph nodes are also affected by the disease, radical nephrectomy and lymph node dissection are performed. When a lymph node dissection is performed, the lymph nodes affected by the cancer are removed.

Doctor’s advice on radical nephrectomy

A radical nephrectomy is typically recommended for treating a large tumor when there is not a lot of healthy tissue remaining. Sometimes the renal tumor develops right inside the renal vein and enters the vena cava on its way to the heart. In this case, complicated cardiovascular surgery techniques are needed.

2. Partial Nephrectomy

A partial nephrectomy is surgery to remove the tumor. This type of surgery protects kidney function and reduces the risk of developing chronic kidney disease following surgery.

3. Robotic and Laparoscopic Surgery

During laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon does several small cuts in the abdomen, rather than the largest cut used during a conventional surgical procedure. The surgeon then inserts telescopic equipment into these small incisions to completely remove the kidney or carry out a partial nephrectomy. Sometimes the surgeon can use robotic tools to carry out the surgery.

Doctor’s Advice on Robotic and Laparoscopic Surgery

This can take longer, but it can be less painful. It is important that you discuss the potential benefits and risks of surgical procedures with your surgeon and be certain that the team has experience with the procedure.

Surgery may not be recommended due to tumor characteristics or the patient’s overall health. Each patient should have a thorough conversation with their physician about their diagnosis and risk factors to see if these treatments are suitable and safe for them. These procedures can be recommended:

Radiofrequency Ablation

RF removal is the use of a needle inserted in the tumor to destroy cancer with an electric current.

Doctor’s Advice on Radiofrequency Ablation

In the past, RFA was only used for persons who were too ill to have surgery.

Cryoablation

Cryoablation is the freezing of cancerous cells using a metallic probe inserted by a small incision. The metallic sensor is placed in the cancerous tissue. A CT and ultrasonic scan will guide the probe.

Systemic therapy involves the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. This type of medication is administered orally or directly through the bloodstream to reach cancer cells throughout the body.

Kidney cancer treatments include:

• Targeted therapy
• Immunotherapy
• Chemo

Each of these types of treatments is discussed at greater length below. They may also be administered as part of a treatment plan that involves surgery or radiotherapy.

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapy is a therapy that targets specific cancer genes, proteins, or the tissue environment that contributes to the growth and survival of cancer. This type of therapy inhibits the growth and spread of cancer cells and limits damage to healthy cells.

Please visit the page to learn more about Targeted therapy.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy, or biological therapy, is designed to stimulate the body’s natural defenses against cancer. It uses materials made by the body or in the lab to improve, target, or restore the function of the immune system.

Immunotherapy Side Effects

Different types of immune therapy may cause different side effects. Skin reactions, symptoms similar to flu, diarrhea, and weight changes are common side effects

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of medications to kill cancer cells, usually by preventing cancer cells from growing, dividing, and producing more cells.

A chemotherapy regimen, or schedule, generally consists of several specific cycles over a given period. A patient can receive one medication at a time or a combination of different medications administered simultaneously.

Chemotherapy Side Effects

Chemotherapy side effects include fatigue, infection risk, nausea and vomiting, loss of hair, appetite loss, and diarrhea. These side effects generally disappear after kidney cancer treatment is completed.

Radiation Therapy

Radiotherapy consists of using high-energy X-rays or other particles to destroy cancer cells.

Radiotherapy is not effective as the primary treatment for renal cancer. It is not often used to treat kidney cancer because of the damage it causes to the kidney in good health. 

Radiotherapy is used only if a patient cannot undergo surgery and, even then, usually only in areas where cancer has spread and not on the primary renal tumor. In most cases, radiotherapy is used when cancer has spread. It is made to help relieve symptoms, such as bone pain or swelling of the brain.

Typically, doctors advise surgery for kidney cancer treatment in India. Sometimes your doctor may advise you to remove the adjacent lymph nodes along with the cancerous part of the kidney. 

Treatment for stage 2 cancer is similar to stage 1 cancer. However, sometimes your doctor may advise you of immunotherapy and targeted therapy after the surgery to prevent relapse of the cancer.

For treating stage 3 kidney cancer, your doctor may advise you of surgery followed by adjuvant therapy to prevent the spread of cancer to adjacent body parts and also cause the removal of cancerous cells.

To treat stage 4 kidney cancer, your doctor may suggest surgery followed by adjuvant therapy. Along with adjuvant therapy, your doctor may also suggest immunotherapy to treat the metastasized cancer.