Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer Treatment

Renal cell cancer is a type of cancer that forms in tubules of the kidney.

Renal cell cancer (also called renal cell adenocarcinoma) is a disease in which cancer cells are found in the lining of tubules (very small tubes) in the kidney. It is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults. There are two kidneys, one on each side of the backbone, above the waist. Tiny tubules in the kidneys filter and clean the blood. They take out waste products and make urine. The urine passes from each kidney through a long tube called a ureter into the bladder. The bladder holds the urine until it passes through the urethra and leaves the body.

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Anatomy of the male urinary system (left panel) and female urinary system (right panel) showing the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. The inside of the left kidney shows the renal pelvis. An inset shows the renal tubules and urine. Also shown are the prostate and penis (left panel) and the uterus (right panel). Urine is made in the renal tubules and collects in the renal pelvis of each kidney. The urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the bladder. The urine is stored in the bladder until it leaves the body through the urethra.

Cancer that starts in the ureters or the renal pelvis (the part of the kidney that collects urine and drains it to the ureters) is different from renal cell cancer. For more information, visit Transitional Cell Cancer of the Renal Pelvis and Ureter Treatment.

Smoking and misuse of certain pain medicines can affect the risk of renal cell cancer.

Renal cell cancer is caused by certain changes to the way renal cells function, especially how they grow and divide into new cells. There are many risk factors for renal cell cancer, but many do not directly cause cancer. Instead, they increase the chance of DNA damage in cells that may lead to renal cell cancer. Learn more about how cancer develops at What Is Cancer?

A risk factor is anything that increases the chance of getting a disease. Some risk factors for renal cell cancer, like smoking, can be changed. However, risk factors also include things you cannot change, like your genetics, getting older, and your family history. Learning about risk factors for renal cell cancer can help you make changes that might lower your risk of getting it.

Risk factors for renal cell cancer include:

• smoking tobacco
• misusing certain pain medicines, including over-the-counter pain medicines, for a long time
• having excess body weight
• having high blood pressure
• having a family history of renal cell cancer
• having certain genetic conditions, such as von Hippel-Lindau disease or hereditary papillary renal cancer

Tobacco use is a leading cause of cancer and death from cancer. Learn more about Tobacco (includes help with quitting).

Having one or more of these risk factors does not mean you will get renal cell cancer. Many people with risk factors never develop renal cell cancer, while others with no known risk factors do. Talk with your doctor if you think you may be at risk.

Signs of renal cell cancer include blood in the urine and a lump in the abdomen.

These and other signs and symptoms may be caused by renal cell cancer or by other conditions. There may be no signs or symptoms in the early stages. Signs and symptoms may appear as the tumor grows. Check with your doctor if you have:

• blood in the urine
• a lump in the abdomen
• a pain in the side that doesn't go away
• loss of appetite
• weight loss for no known reason
• anemia

Tests that examine the abdomen and kidneys are used to diagnose renal cell cancer.

In addition to asking about your personal and family health history and doing a physical exam, your doctor may perform the following tests and procedures:

• Ultrasound exam uses high-energy sound waves (ultrasound) that bounce off internal tissues or organs and make echoes. The echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram.
• Blood chemistry study uses a blood sample to measure the amounts of certain substances released into the blood by organs and tissues in the body. An unusual (higher or lower than normal) amount of a substance can be a sign of disease.
• Urinalysis checks the color of urine and its contents, such as sugar, protein, red blood cells, and white blood cells.
• CT scan (CAT scan) uses a computer linked to an x-ray machine to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, such as the abdomen and pelvis. The pictures are taken from different angles and are used to create 3-D views of tissues and organs. A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly. This procedure is also called computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) uses a magnet, radio waves, and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. This procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI).
• Biopsy is the removal of cells or tissues so they can be viewed under a microscope by a pathologist to check for signs of cancer. To do a biopsy for renal cell cancer, a thin needle is inserted into the tumor and a sample of tissue is withdrawn. A biopsy may not be needed if the imaging test results provide enough information to make a diagnosis.

After renal cell cancer has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the kidney or to other parts of the body.

The process used to find out if cancer has spread within the kidney or to other parts of the body is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment.

Some of the tests and procedures used to diagnose liver cancer, such as CT scan and MRI, may be used in the staging process. Other tests include:

• Chest x-ray is a type of radiation that can go through the body and make pictures of organs and bones inside the chest.
• Bone scan is a procedure to check if there are rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells, in the bone. A very small amount of radioactive material is injected into a vein and travels through the bloodstream. The radioactive material collects in the bones with cancer and is detected by a scanner.

Some people decide to get a second opinion.

You may want to get a second opinion to confirm your renal cell cancer diagnosis and treatment plan. If you seek a second opinion, you will need to get medical test results and reports from the first doctor to share with the second doctor. The second doctor will review the pathology report, slides, and scans. They may agree with the first doctor, suggest changes or another treatment approach, or provide more information about your cancer.

To learn more about choosing a doctor and getting a second opinion, see Finding Cancer Care. You can contact NCI's Cancer Information Service via chat, email, or phone (both in English and Spanish) for help finding a doctor, hospital, or getting a second opinion. For questions you might want to ask at your appointments, see Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Cancer.

Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options.

The prognosis and treatment options depend on:

• the stage of the disease
• your age and general health

Cancer stage describes the extent of cancer in the body, such as the size of the tumor, whether it has spread, and how far it has spread from where it first formed.

There are several staging systems for cancer that describe the extent of the cancer. Renal cell cancer staging usually uses the TNM staging system. The cancer may be described by this staging system in your pathology report. Based on the TNM results, a stage (I, II, III, or IV, also written as 1, 2, 3, or 4) is assigned to your cancer. When talking to you about your diagnosis, your doctor may describe the cancer as one of these stages.

Learn about tests to stage renal cell cancer. Learn more about Cancer Staging.

The following stages are used for renal cell cancer:

Stage I (also called stage 1) renal cell cancer

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Stage I kidney cancer. The tumor is 7 centimeters or smaller and is found in the kidney only.

In stage I, the tumor is 7 centimeters or smaller and is found in the kidney only.

Stage II (also called stage 2) renal cell cancer

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Stage II kidney cancer. The tumor is larger than 7 centimeters and is found in the kidney only.

In stage II, the tumor is larger than 7 centimeters and is found in the kidney only.

Stage III (also called stage 3) renal cell cancer

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Stage III kidney cancer. The cancer in the kidney is any size and cancer has spread to a) nearby lymph nodes, b) the blood vessels in or near the kidney (renal vein or vena cava), c) the structures in the kidney that collect urine, or d) the layer of fatty tissue around the kidney.

In stage III, one of the following is found:

• the cancer in the kidney is any size, and cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes; or
• cancer has spread to blood vessels in or near the kidney (renal vein or vena cava), to the fat around the structures in the kidney that collect urine, or to the layer of fatty tissue around the kidney and may have spread to nearby lymph nodes.

Stage IV (also called stage 4) renal cell cancer

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Stage IV kidney cancer. Cancer has spread a) beyond the layer of fatty tissue around the kidney and may have spread into the adrenal gland above the kidney with cancer or to nearby lymph nodes, or b) to other parts of the body, such as the brain, lung, liver, adrenal gland, bone, or distant lymph nodes.

In stage IV, one of the following is found:

• cancer has spread beyond the layer of fatty tissue around the kidney and may have spread into the adrenal gland above the kidney with cancer or to nearby lymph nodes; or
• cancer has spread to other parts of the body, such as the bones, liver, lungs, brain, adrenal glands, or distant lymph nodes.

Stage IV renal cell cancer is also called metastatic renal cell cancer. Metastatic cancer happens when cancer cells travel through the lymphatic system or blood and form tumors in other parts of the body. The metastatic tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example, if renal cell cancer spreads to the liver, the cancer cells in the liver are actually renal cell cancer. The disease is called metastatic renal cell cancer, not liver cancer. Learn more in Metastatic Cancer: When Cancer Spreads.

Renal cell cancer can recur (come back) many years after initial treatment.

Recurrent renal cell cancer is cancer that has come back after it has been treated. If renal cell cancer comes back, it may come back in the kidney or in other parts of the body. Tests will be done to help determine where the cancer has returned. The type of treatment for recurrent renal cell cancer will depend on where it has come back.

Learn more in Recurrent Cancer: When Cancer Comes Back. Information to help you cope and talk with your health care team can be found in the booklet When Cancer Returns.

There are different types of treatment for people with renal cell cancer.

Different types of treatments are available for people with renal cell cancer. You and your cancer care team will work together to decide your treatment plan, which may include more than one type of treatment. Many factors will be considered, such as the stage of the cancer, your overall health, and your preferences. Your plan will include information about your cancer, the goals of treatment, your treatment options and the possible side effects, and the expected length of treatment. 

Talking with your cancer care team before treatment begins about what to expect will be helpful. You'll want to learn what you need to do before treatment begins, how you'll feel while going through it, and what kind of help you will need. To learn more, see Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Treatment.

The following types of treatment are used:

New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials.

For some people, joining a clinical trial may be an option. There are different types of clinical trials for people with cancer. For example, a treatment trial tests new treatments or new ways of using current treatments. Supportive care and palliative care trials look at ways to improve quality of life, especially for those who have side effects from cancer and its treatment.

You can use the clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials accepting participants. The search allows you to filter trials based on the type of cancer, your age, and where the trials are being done. Clinical trials supported by other organizations can be found on the ClinicalTrials.gov website.

Learn more about clinical trials, including how to find and join one, at Clinical Trials Information for Patients and Caregivers.

Treatment for renal cell cancer may cause side effects.

For information about side effects caused by treatment for cancer, visit our Side Effects page.

Follow-up care may be needed.

As you go through treatment, you will have follow-up tests or check-ups. Some tests that were done to diagnose or stage the cancer may be repeated to see how well the treatment is working. Decisions about whether to continue, change, or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests.

Some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended. The results of these tests can show if your condition has changed or if the cancer has recurred (come back).

After treatment for renal cell cancer, a blood test to measure amounts of carcinoembryonic antigen (a substance in the blood that may be increased when cancer is present) may be done to see if the cancer has come back.

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PDQ® Adult Treatment Editorial Board. PDQ Renal Cell Cancer Treatment. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute. Updated <MM/DD/YYYY>. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/types/kidney/patient/kidney-treatment-pdq. Accessed <MM/DD/YYYY>. [PMID: 26389448]

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