Understanding Kidney Cancer Treatment

You or a relative may have been diagnosed with kidney cancer and may not have a clue on what to expect or how to move forward. Your doctor will be in a position to give you the best guidance. However, here are a few aspects that may give some insights on what to expect:

Who Will Be On Your Doctor's Team?

Your doctor's team may consist of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers, nutritionists, psychologists and some cancer treatment specialists. The cancer treatment specialists may include a medical oncologist, who treats cancer through targeted therapy or chemotherapy, or a radiation oncologist, who treats cancer through radiation therapy.

A urologist may also be part of the team. This is a specialist who treats diseases of the male reproductive system or urinary system.

Treatment Options

Once you or your relative has been diagnosed, the doctor will have to check what stage of cancer you have and also perform a biopsy.

Is it an early stage or an advanced stage? Is it malignant or benign? Malignant cancer can invade other tissues, but benign cancer cannot. If a malignant cancer is caught early, you have the best fighting chances; however, advanced malignant cancers can be difficult to treat. Benign cancers are not alarming and can be left untouched depending on whether they have symptoms affecting your livelihood or not. Usually, the treatment option is surgery.

Treatment options differ for different stages and types of cancer. Other factors such as age and sex may also influence treatment options. As indicated above, surgery is one form of treatment used to treat most cancers. It is important to note that you may not be a good candidate for certain treatment options and only some may best suit your condition. At some point, you may be faced with a choice of what option you want to try, but your doctor/oncologist will give assistance.

Other Options

Cryoablation/cryotherapy is another treatment option that uses cold to treat the tumour. Radiofrequency ablation can also be used, a method that sends high energy waves to heat and destroy the tumour. Arterial embolisation is also a technique used to block arteries feeding the tumour. You may also have heard of radiation, which is used to kill cancer cells.

If you have highly advanced cancer, targeted drugs can be used to slow growth or shrink the size of the tumour. You can also undergo immunotherapy to help boost your body's immune system. This gives your body the energy required to fight cancerous cells.

Another kidney cancer treatment option you may have heard of is chemotherapy. This treatment option includes taking anti-cancer medication through the vein or mouth.