WHAT IS THE BEST TREATMENT FOR KIDNEY CANCER?
The type of treatment that kidney cancer doctors recommend to their patients depends on what type of kidney cancer you have. Most kidney cancer tumors fall into one of two categories:
- Renal cell carcinoma – The most common form of kidney cancer, accounting for about 85 percent of all cases. It produces cancer cells in the lining of kidney tubules, and those cells grow into a tumor. In most renal cell carcinoma cases, a single tumor develops; however, more than one tumor can develop in one or both kidneys.
- Transitional cell carcinoma – Up to 7% of kidney cancers begin in the renal pelvis. The renal pelvis is the point where the kidney joins the ureter, which is the tube that carries urine to the bladder. These tumors, known as transitional cell carcinomas, are slightly different from renal cell carcinoma. Research indicates that smoking causes most transitional cell carcinomas in the kidneys.
Early diagnosis of kidney cancer gives patients the best chance for survival. Tumors discovered at an early stage often respond well to the kidney tumor treatment oncologists can provide. When doctors discover tumors early, survival rates are high.
Tumors that have grown large or spread through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to other parts of the body, called metastatic, present a greater challenge. The good news is that thanks to new technologies and new therapies, patients have higher survival rates than ever before. According to the National Cancer Institute, the survival rates for kidney cancer have increased every year since 2001.
If other treatments for kidney cancer haven’t worked, talk to your doctor about CyberKnife, or contact our center directly and one of our board-certified radiation oncologists will let you know if Cyberknife is an option for you. If your tumor is too complex for surgery, if you’re not healthy enough for major surgery, or if you’d prefer non-surgical treatment for kidney cancer, the CyberKnife System could be a great alternative.