Kidney Treatment

Kidney Treatment

The treatment for kidney cancer depends on the size of the cancer and whether it has spread to other parts of the body.

Treatment

• Surgery to remove part or all of the affected kidney – this is the main treatment for most people
• Ablation therapies – where the cancer cells are destroyed by freezing or heating them
• Targeted therapies (also called biological therapies) – medicines that help stop the cancer growing or spreading
• Embolisation – a procedure to cut off the blood supply to the cancer
• Radiotherapy – where high-energy radiation is used to target cancer cells and relieve symptoms

Cancer that has not spread out of the kidney can usually be cured by having an operation to remove some or all of the kidney. Sometimes cryotherapy or radiofrequency ablation may be used instead.

A complete cure may not be possible if the cancer has spread, but it may be possible to slow its progression and treat any symptoms with surgery, medicine and/or radiotherapy.