Renal Cell Cancer Treatment (PDQ®) - Treatment Options for Renal Cell Cancer

Stage I Renal Cell Cancer

Treatment of stage I renal cell cancer may include the following:

• Surgery (radical nephrectomy, simple nephrectomy, or partial nephrectomy).
• Radiation therapy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms in patients who cannot have surgery.
• Arterial embolization as palliative therapy.
• A clinical trial of a new treatment.

Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with stage I renal cell cancer.

Stage II Renal Cell Cancer

Treatment of stage II renal cell cancer may include the following:

• Surgery (radical nephrectomy or partial nephrectomy).
• Surgery (nephrectomy), before or after radiation therapy.
• Radiation therapy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms in patients who cannot have surgery.
• Arterial embolization as palliative therapy.
• A clinical trial of a new treatment.

Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with stage II renal cell cancer.

Stage III Renal Cell Cancer

Treatment of stage III renal cell cancer may include the following:

• Surgery (radical nephrectomy). Blood vessels of the kidney and some lymph nodes may also be removed.
• Arterial embolization followed by surgery (radical nephrectomy).
• Radiation therapy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life.
• Arterial embolization as palliative therapy.
• Surgery (nephrectomy) as palliative therapy.
• Radiation therapy before or after surgery (radical nephrectomy).
• A clinical trial of biologic therapy following surgery.

This summary section refers to specific treatments under study in clinical trials, but it may not mention every new treatment being studied. Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with stage III renal cell cancer.

Stage IV and Recurrent Renal Cell Cancer

Treatment of stage IV and recurrent renal cell cancer may include the following:

• Targeted therapy alone or after biologic therapy.
• Biologic therapy alone or after surgery (nephrectomy) to reduce the size of the tumor.
• Arterial embolization as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life
• Radiation therapy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life.
• Surgery (nephrectomy) as palliative therapy.
• Surgery (radical nephrectomy, with or without removal of cancer from other areas where it has spread).
• A clinical trial of chemotherapy.

This summary section refers to specific treatments under study in clinical trials, but it may not mention every new treatment being studied. Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with stage IV renal cell cancer and recurrent renal cell cancer.

WebMD Public Information from the National Cancer Institute