Kidney Cancer

Treatment

Mayo Clinic physicians and other members of your treatment team come together to assess your needs and the most appropriate approach to treating your specific disease. Each patient is different, and your treatment team will weigh many factors, including your physical condition and personal preferences, before recommending a course of treatment.

Generally, however, surgery is the most common initial treatment for most kidney cancer tumors. Mayo Clinic offers extensive experience in all forms of kidney cancer surgery, from removing part of the kidney (partial nephrectomy) to removing the entire kidney (radical nephrectomy).

Read more about Mayo's extensive capabilities for kidney cancer surgery, including the use of robotic surgery.

Minimally Invasive Procedures

For patients who cannot undergo open incision surgery, Mayo urologists can perform, one of two minimally invasive treatments:

Percutaneous Cryoablation

In percutaneous cryoablation, one or more needles are inserted into the skin, including a small freezing probe (cryoprobe) that is delivered directly into the cancerous tissue. Placement is guided by simultaneous imaging from a CT scan and ultrasound. The probe projects high-intensity, freezing cold temperatures of -100 degrees Celsius into the tumor itself and into a margin of about 5 millimeters beyond the tumor's edge to ensure the whole tumor is destroyed.

After the procedure, a small adhesive bandage is placed on the skin, and patients typically stay overnight at the hospital before discharge. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved this treatment for kidney cancer, but research studies still need to measure long-term outcomes to compare cryoablation to other treatments.

Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation

In radiofrequency ablation, ultrasound or CT imaging is used to guide a needlelike electrode through the skin into the tumor, similar to the cryoablation technique described above. Radiofrequency energy is then passed into the tip of the electrode, resulting in very high temperatures in the surrounding tumor which destroy it in five to 15 minutes, depending on the tumor's size and location. Following ablation, a small adhesive bandage is placed over any puncture sites. Most patients are observed overnight in the hospital and discharged the next morning.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is reserved for kidney cancer instances where the goal of therapy is only to relieve or diminish the symptoms of the disease, because radiation is not an effective alternative to surgery. Occasionally, radiation therapy may be given after surgery if all of the tumor could not be removed or if the tumor regrows in the original surgical site. To reduce symptoms, radiation may also be directed to sites (such as bone or brain) where the cancer has spread. Radiation is generally not considered curative therapy for most kidney cancers.

Experimental Drug Therapies

Patients may be candidates for clinical trials that test experimental treatments. Several new drugs are being studied, and new studies may be available in the next year or two. Other drugs may become available for future studies, and Mayo Clinic physicians offer access to clinical trials to eligible patients, if trials are available and appropriate.

Treatment of Metastatic Disease

Patients with metastatic kidney cancer can benefit from the extensive experience Mayo Clinic specialists have in treating cancer that has spread. Treatment options may include surgical treatment, radiation therapy, therapy targeting tumor growth, or therapy meant to enhance the patient's immune system. Other options may be available through clinical trials. Physician care teams develop a plan to treat each patient's cancer and maximize quality and quantity of life.