Kidney Cancer Treatment

At MD Anderson, your kidney cancer treatment is personalized to include the most-advanced therapies with the fewest possible side effects. Our experts work together – and with you – to give you the highest chance for successful treatment and recovery.

While the average oncologist probably sees fewer than 10 kidney cancer cases each year, MD Anderson doctors see several hundred. This gives us an extraordinary level of experience and expertise.

Experience is Vital

This level of knowledge is especially important in kidney cancer surgery. Because it is important to save as much of the kidney as possible, the specialized skill of the surgeon can make a crucial difference. Our surgeons are among the most experienced in the country at kidney cancer surgical procedures.

MD Anderson offers some of the most advanced therapies for kidney cancer, many of which are available at only a few centers in the country. These include minimally invasive surgeries that can mean less pain and quicker recovery.

Pioneering Research

We’re leading the way to discovering groundbreaking treatments that fight kidney cancer at the molecular level. Our researchers helped develop several targeted therapies for kidney cancer, including sunitinib and sorafenib. And, as one of the most active research programs in the country, MD Anderson is able to offer a range of clinical trials of new treatments.

If you are diagnosed with kidney cancer, your doctor will discuss the best options to treat it. This depends on several factors, including the stage of the cancer and your general health. Your treatment for kidney cancer at MD Anderson will be customized to your particular needs. One or more of the following therapies may be recommended to treat the cancer or help relieve symptoms.

Surgery

Tumors that are confined to the kidney or to the area around the kidney usually are surgically removed. It’s important for the surgeon to leave as much of the kidney as possible. When your surgeon has a high level of experience in this type of surgery, your outcomes are likely to be better.

At MD Anderson, these surgeries sometimes can be minimally invasive (done with a laparoscope and robotic technology). 

You can usually live with one kidney, but if both kidneys are removed or not working you will need kidney dialysis (a way to clean the blood with a machine). A kidney transplant may be an option for some patients.

The main types of surgery for kidney cancer include:

Radical nephrectomy is removal of the entire kidney along with the surrounding fatty tissue. Sometimes the adrenal gland and nearby lymph nodes are removed too. One of the following methods will be used, depending on the size of the tumor and other factors that your surgeon will consider.

Standard or "open" surgery: A four- to eight-inch incision (cut) is made in the front of the abdomen. The surgeon removes the entire kidney through the incision.

Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN): A small incision is made to insert a laparoscope. Other tiny incisions are made for miniature surgical instruments to remove the kidney. Benefits of this procedure include a shorter hospital stay (one to two days vs. five to seven days), shorter recovery time and less blood loss than with open surgery. Surgeon experience is important for this procedure.

Partial nephrectomy (or kidney-sparing surgery): Only the cancerous portion of the kidney is removed, along with a margin of healthy tissue around it. High quality pre-treatment imaging is used to determine what will be removed, and ultrasound can be used to look for additional tumors during surgery.

Candidates for partial nephrectomy are chosen based on favorable tumor location, co-existing health problems that may affect the treatment outcome, the condition of the kidneys and the patient's desire to save the kidney. Partial nephrectomy is best for kidney cancer tumors that are 4 centimeters or less in size. They can be done for larger tumors when necessary. Recurrence rates for stage 1 cancers removed by either radical or partial nephrectomy are about 5%.

Partial nephrectomy can be done by traditional or laparoscopic robotic methods. Robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) offers a shorter hospital stay (one to two days instead of four to five days) and quicker recovery.