The treatment method for kidney cancer or renal cell carcinoma depends on the stage or progress. Based on the level of spread and the severity of the condition, the disease is graded from stage 1 to 4. Understanding the stages and, and consequentially the treatment for kidney cancer occurs after the observation of the size of the tumor, presence of cancer in the lymph nodes, and the extent to which it has spread.

So, let’s take a look at the stages and treatment for kidney cancer

Stages

  • Stage I
    When diagnosed at an early stage of onset, kidney cancer has the highest 5-year survival rate of 81%. The tumor in this case is smaller than 7cm in its cross-section. It is labeled as T1, N0, M0 as the tumor has not affected any lymph nodes.
  • Stage II
    As the tumor grows more than 7cm, it is labeled as T2, N0. M0. There is still no metastasis or spread of the cancer and the lymph nodes stay unaffected. While comparing the stages and treatment for kidney cancer, stages I and II are the easiest to treat. The 5-year survival rate with the second stage is 74%.
  • Stage III
    Irrespective of the tumor size, if the cancer has started affecting lymph nodes, it is in the third stage. The tumor size here ranges from T1-T3 and the metastasis number remains at M0. Node number is N1 due to cancerous growth in lymph nodes and 5-year survival rate drops to 53%.
  • Stage IV
    There are several ways in which stage 4 kidney cancer can occur, with the metastasis number being M1 in most cases. The lymph node may or may not be affected but the cancerous growth often extends beyond one kidney. Most treatment options are not effective at this stage, and the chances of the patient surviving 5 years later drastically drops down to 8% in stage IV.

Treatment options
There is a definitive correlation between the stages and treatment for kidney cancer. For stage I, II and III there are plenty of choices, and treatment for the last stage is largely palliative. Here are a few treatment methods for kidney cancer.

  • Partial or complete surgical removal of the kidney in which cancerous cells are present.
  • Surgical removal of lymph nodes where the cancer has spread, along with removal of the kidney.
  • Cryotherapy is adopted in some patients when surgery is not an option.
  • Bypass arrangements are made for removal of affected lymph nodes.

The following are the treatment options for the cases where the kidney cancer has reached stage IV .

  • Removal of the cancerous growth.
  • Immunotherapy with the combination of other medications based on the health condition can also help slightly prolong the life of the patient.

Along with all the treatment options, adjuvant therapy continues till the patient is diagnosed as free from the risk of remission. However, stage IV with its notoriously low survival rate, can be difficult to treat.