Minimally Invasive Surgery

Kidney Cancer

Cancer can form in the small tubes inside the kidney, which are used for filtering blood, and in the center of the kidney where urine collects. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 51,000 new cases of kidney cancer are diagnosed in the United States yearly.

Treatment Options

Treatment options for kidney cancer depend upon the staging of the cancer (how large and whether it has spread) and the patient’s age and general health. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are all potential treatment options. Kidney cancer is relatively resistant to radiation and chemotherapy. As a result, the standard treatment for localized kidney cancer is removal of the kidney or kidney tumors.

The three forms of surgical treatment are:

Partial nephrectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the cancer within the kidney and some of the tissue around it. A partial nephrectomy may be done to prevent loss of kidney function when the other kidney is damaged or has already been removed.
Simple nephrectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the kidney only.
Radical nephrectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the kidney, the adrenal gland, surrounding tissue and, usually, nearby lymph nodes.

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