Renal cell carcinoma affects hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Kidney cancer sounds intimidating. However, cutting-edge technology has made many advanced treatment options possible for those diagnosed with this malignant cancer.
A common question that people ask is whether nephrectomy surgery is their only hope. Or, is it the best kidney cancer treatment in Vashi, Navi Mumbai? The answer depends on the type of cancer, how far it’s spread, the size of the tumor, and your health. Let’s learn more about it.
Causes of Renal Cell Carcinoma
RCC starts in the tubules that filter blood and produce urine. Although the exact causes are unknown, certain risk factors that are believed to contribute to an increased risk of RCC include:
- Smoking
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Chronic kidney disease
- Family history of kidney cancer
- Radiation therapy
Symptoms of RCC are often not obvious in the early stages. It may be detected accidentally during routine check-ups or imaging tests. Symptoms might show up later, i.e., when the disease has progressed.
Symptoms usually depend on the parts of the body the cancer has affected. Patients report blood in the urine, weight loss, fatigue, pain in the back, and an unusual mass in the abdomen.
Nephrectomy for Renal Cell Carcinoma
Nephrectomy is a surgery to remove the diseased kidney (sometimes, a part of it) to get rid of cancer. Your surgeon might recommend:
Partial Nephrectomy
If the cancer affects only a small portion of the kidney, the oncologist might remove the diseased part, leaving the healthy kidney tissues intact. Choose the best urologist in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, if you want to preserve your kidney function with partial nephrectomy.
Radical Nephrectomy
Radical nephrectomy removes the entire kidney and is the most preferred choice for patients with a large tumor, a tumor located in the center of the kidney, or when the cancer cells have metastasized to the lymph nodes and the surrounding structures. Depending on the stage of the RCC, the entire kidney, including lymph nodes, adrenal gland, and surrounding tissues, is removed.
If the cancer is localized (i.e., it hasn’t invaded the nearby tissues or organs), surgery may be the most effective treatment plan. However, nephrectomy alone may not always be a practical option. For example, people with advanced-stage RCC may require targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or a mix of both for the best results.
If the patient’s kidneys aren’t healthy or functioning properly, removing them may worsen their condition. In such cases, cryotherapy or radiofrequency ablation (RFA) can help destroy the cancer. Chemotherapy is not used as a primary treatment for kidney cancer, as kidney tumors are resistant to chemotherapy drugs, making it less effective than other treatment options, like immunotherapy.
Conclusion
While nephrectomy is used as the first line of treatment for most renal cell carcinoma cases, surgery alone may not be effective if the cancer has metastasized. That said, there’s no one-size-fits-all treatment for kidney cancer. Some patients may find relief from a combination of treatment options, while others may experience improvement with surgery alone.
