Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer is usually diagnosed through imaging studies, such as:

• Abdominal ultrasound
• CT scan
• MRI
• Bone scan (to check for skeletal metastases)
• PET scan

If imaging cannot clearly distinguish between benign and malignant tumors, a biopsy may be performed. In patients undergoing partial nephrectomy, a DTPA renal scan (nuclear medicine study) may be used to evaluate kidney function.

Treatment depends on the type and stage of the cancer. Unlike many other cancers, kidney cancer generally does not respond well to traditional chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Localized kidney cancer (no metastasis):

• Radical nephrectomy: Removal of the entire kidney along with surrounding fat, fascia, and sometimes part of the ureter.
• Partial nephrectomy: Standard treatment for small tumors, aiming to preserve kidney function. This can be performed through open surgery, laparoscopy, or robotic-assisted surgery (commonly used today).

Non-surgical approaches (for small, localized tumors when surgery is not feasible):

• Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
• Cryoablation

Other options:

• Renal artery embolization may be used when surgical removal is not possible due to local invasion, coexisting medical conditions, advanced age, or patient preference.