Kidney/Renal Cancer Treatment Options

Surgery to remove part of or the entire kidney is the most effective treatment for renal cell cancer. These surgical options include partial nephrectomy, radical nephrectomy and laparoscopic radical nephrectomy. Both partial nephrectomy and laparoscopic radical nephrectomy are complex procedures that are not available at most hospitals. However, the urologists at The Lacks Cancer Center are well trained in these techniques and offer the full range of surgical services. In addition to surgical removal, patients may also be treated with additional chemotherapy or radiation therapy to kill remaining cancer cells.

Treatment options at The Lacks Cancer Center include:

Partial Nephrectomy. A surgical procedure in which cancer cells within the kidney and a margin of surrounding tissue are removed, while kidney function is preserved.

Radical Nephrectomy. A surgical procedure to remove the kidney, adrenal gland, surrounding tissue and, in some cases, lymph nodes in the outlying region.

Laparoscopic Radical Nephrectomy. A minimally invasive surgery performed with the assistance of a video camera and several thin instruments. During the surgical procedure, small incisions are made and plastic tubes (ports) are inserted so that the camera and the instruments can be introduced with little trauma to the patient. The camera transmits images of organs onto a television monitor, allowing the surgeon a clear, accurate view of the internal system. Patients having this procedure have shortened hospital stays and more rapid recovery than those who undergo more traditional invasive surgery.

Renal Embolization. In this procedure a small incision is made in the groin and a thin tube inserted into the primary blood vessel of the kidney. Gelatin material and/or surgical coils are injected through the tube into the blood vessel, blocking the blood flow to the kidney and killing most of the cancer cells.

Chemotherapy. This treatment uses potent drugs to eradicate, shrink, slow the growth of, or prevent cancer from spreading. Typically, a combination of drugs is administered intravenously (directly into the veins) in a series of treatments over a period of weeks or months, with breaks in-between so that the patient’s body can recover.

Radiation Therapy. The goal of radiation therapy is to kill cancer cells while harming as little normal tissue as possible. This therapy may be used before, during and/or after chemotherapy, and is delivered in one of two ways—depending on the type and stage of cancer being treated. Radiation can either be administered to the affected area(s) from outside the body or, in other instances, inserted through a needle or catheter into or near the cancer.

Biologic Therapy. This treatment uses the patient's own immune system to attack the cancer. Substances made by the body or made in a laboratory are used to boost, direct, or restore the body's natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is also called biotherapy or immunotherapy.

Targeted Therapy. Utilizes drugs or other synthetic substances to find and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells.

Seek the most aggressive treatments available from our Multidisciplinary Urologic Clinic with a referral from your primary care physician or with a self-referral by calling 1-877-LACKS-MI or 616-685-LACK(S).