Treatment Options for Localised Kidney Cancer - IKCC - International Kidney Cancer Coalition

This section offers further information on the treatments that are currently used to treat localised kidney cancer.

Hier finden Sie weitere Informationen zur Behandlung von lokal begrenztem Nierenkrebs.

Cette section propose des informations supplémentaires sur les traitements actuellement utilisés pour traiter le cancer du rein localisé.

Dit gedeelte biedt meer informatie over de behandelingen die momenteel worden gebruikt om gelokaliseerde nierkanker te behandelen.

Esta seção oferece mais informações sobre os tratamentos atualmente usados para tratar o cancro renal localizado.

В этом разделе представлена дополнительная информация о методах лечения, которые в настоящее время используются для лечения локализованного рака почки.

Esta sección ofrece más información sobre los tratamientos que se utilizan actualmente para tratar el cáncer de riñón localizado.

What are the main types of treatment for kidney cancer?

The different types of treatment available for kidney cancer are:

Active surveillance
Surgery
Systemic anti-cancer medications
Specialised radiation therapy
Ablative therapies.

Researchers have made tremendous progress over the past decade developing new treatments. This has provided clinicians with a variety of treatments for their patients. There are also a number of new and exciting medications, specialised radiation therapy and surgical techniques in development. Each type of treatment is used for a different reason. Often, a combination or a particular sequence of treatments is used.

You might be offered the opportunity to join a clinical trial to test a new type of anti-cancer medication, medical procedure, or new way of delivering care. These trials test whether a new treatment is safe, effective and better than existing (standard) treatment.

Your clinician can explain which treatments would be suitable for your particular clinical situation. Together you can decide the best treatment for you. You can discuss with your healthcare team whether you want to have treatment at all. This is your choice. Talking about it with your clinician and your family may help clarify your thinking and ensure the decision you make is the right one for you.

My cancer is only in the kidney: what treatments could I take?

It may seem strange, but for some people with small kidney tumours, the first best treatment is often observation, or “active surveillance”. If you have a larger tumour in the kidney, surgery is usually the first best treatment.

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Treatments to ensure that the cancer won't come back

After surgery to remove a tumour, people can take additional “insurance policy” treatments to reduce the chance of the cancer coming back. You may have heard of chemotherapy, hormone therapy or radiotherapy as additional (“adjuvant”) treatments for cancer.

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Factsheet: Early stage kidney cancer

Download factsheet here: Early stage kidney cancer

Decision Aid: Kidney Cancer Basics

An information booklet to complement the IKCC My Treatment, My Choice series of decision aids for people with renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer). Supporting shared decision making between patients and healthcare professionals.

For further information please refer to our Decision aid “My treatment, my choice”