Kidney Cancer – Stages and Treatments

Kidney Cancer – Stages and Treatments

Kidney cancer has now become a common condition among people older than 50 years. Kidney cancer causes healthy cells in the kidneys to gradually turn into lumps. The excess production of these cells may affect the kidneys, making the filtering process a task. This affects the overall health of the affected person. Different scientists and researchers have conducted studies to identify the different stages and treatments for kidney cancer.

Stages in kidney cancer
Before focusing on major treatments for curing kidney cancer, one needs to understand its stages. These stages are:

Stage I (The generation of a small tumor)
The kidneys may have a small tumor of about six to seven centimeters in the primary stage. To analyze the condition of this tumor, doctors often conduct different tests, like urine and blood tests. CT scan is another test to help analyze the different changes.

Stage II (Enlarged tissues)
In the second stage, doctors often identify little growth in the tumor present in the kidney. The tumor remains in the same place as before without affecting the other organs.

Stage III (Affects different glands)
Doctors often find different changes related to the size and position of the tumor. In this phase, the tumor usually tends to increase in size and spreads to other glands. This will affect the nearby tissues. Besides that, it may spread to the adrenal gland, damaging different cells and tissues.

Stage IV (Affects the liver, lung, or bladder)
In this stage, the tumor tends to increase in size and affects the liver, lung, and bladder. It will disrupt the proper functions of the organs and can affect the overall health of the affected person.

Based on the major studies on the different stages and treatments for kidney cancer, doctors select few effective methods.

Chemotherapy
Doctors often seem to use chemotherapy on those patients who suffer from renal sarcoma. This therapy affects different connective tissues present in the kidney and decreases the growth of the tumor. This will help control the progression of the condition.

Surgery
Based on the size and adversity of the disease, doctors conduct surgery. This can be the best option for those who go through the last stage of kidney cancer. It can be the alternate option of chemotherapy.

Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is used by different doctors to treat renal cell carcinoma, the simplest form of kidney cancer. In this stage, doctors often prescribe different medicines like cytokines to improve the immune system and prevent the growth of different cancer cells.

Thus, to overcome different stages of kidney cancer effectively, you need to consult a professional who has dealt with such a condition and knows all about the stages and treatments for kidney cancer.