Overview
Kidney cancer is a relatively common urological condition which, if identified and diagnosed early enough, is highly curable. As with all cancers, early diagnosis of kidney cancer is critical when treating the disease. At Urology Associates of Central Missouri, our expert doctors use state of the art technology and advanced knowledge and techniques during kidney cancer treatment.
Based on the final assessment, we will recommend an individualized treatment plan that may include surgery, tumor ablation, embolization, or surveillance. Some patients will benefit from a combined approach that may include surgical removal in addition to targeted therapy, immunotherapy, research protocols or chemotherapy.
Signs & Symptoms
There are numerous factors that are considered in assessing which kidney cancer treatment option is best suited for a patient, such as medical history, current health condition, clinical and diagnostic test results and patient preference. Other factors that are taken into account are the tumor size, location and stage of the disease.
Diagnosis & Treatment
Treatment Options for Kidney Cancer include:
- Surgical Treatments
- Robotic Surgery
- Tumor Ablation
- Medical Therapy (Immunotherapy & Chemotherapy)
- Surgical Treatments
Surgery is the most common treatment for kidney cancer, but we also employ minimally invasive options such as cryosurgery and HIFU.
Radical nephrectomy is the removal of the entire kidney, along with the adrenal gland and some surrounding tissue. The surgeon may also opt to remove some lymph nodes.
Simple nephrectomy is the removal of just the kidney and is used for some people with Stage I kidney cancer.
Partial nephrectomy is the removal of part of the kidney. Those with small tumors (less than 4cm) may have this procedure. It is also used for those who have only one kidney, or have cancer affecting both kidneys.
Cryosurgery is considered a non-surgical option, despite its name. During cryosurgery, a hollow instrument called a cryoprobe is inserted into the body through the skin, then guided to the tumor with ultrasound or MRI. The cryoprobe is put in contact with the tumor, then liquid nitrogen is delivered through the probe, freezing the abnormal cells and destroying them. Sometimes, more than one probe is used. After cryosurgery, the frozen tissue thaws and is naturally absorbed by the body.
HIFU is the acronym for high-intensity focused ultrasound. As the name describes, HIFU uses high-energy, high-frequency focused sound waves to destroy the tumor cells. The sound waves raise the cells’ temperature, killing them. HIFU can be performed under local or general anesthetic, and may need to be done more than once. Possible side effects include pain in the kidney area, bleeding and infection.
Robotic Surgery
Robotic surgery for kidney cancer incorporates the best techniques of open surgery and applies them to a robotic-assisted, minimally invasive approach. The precision and dexterity of advanced instrumentation facilitates a minimally invasive approach for treating kidney cancer.
Medical Therapy
Recent advances in both immunotherapy and chemotherapy have brought forth more options for treating kidney cancer. In addition to classic chemotherapy drugs that target cancer cells, some forms of kidney cancer respond to medicines which activate the body’s own natural defenses to kill the cancer cells. Immunotherapy drugs stimulate your immune system to fight the cancer.
Tumor Ablation
Tumor ablation destroys the tumor without surgically removing it. This can be accomplished by freezing the tumor (cryotherapy) or using high energy waves (radiofrequency ablation) to destroy the tumor. Ablation can be accomplished during open surgery, laparoscopy or percutaneously (through the skin).