When a person is diagnosed with kidney cancer, the next question on his or her mind is, “Will I live five years?” While there’s no one answer, there are some statistics that are helpful to know. The 5-year survival rate for kidney cancer in the United States is approximately 76%. This number depends on several factors, including the type of cancer and cell type. It is also based on the stage of the cancer, so the 5-year survival rate can vary based on the stage and type of cancer.
Radiation therapy is one option for treating kidney cancer, but it should not be your only option. While targeted therapies are the most effective treatments for early kidney cancer, surgery is another option for patients in good health. Although surgery is a major step in treatment, it will only be effective if the cancer has spread to other areas of the body. Depending on the location of the cancer, your doctor will determine which treatment option is best for you.
Radiation therapy and chemotherapy are also options for advanced kidney cancer. In some cases, radiation therapy may be necessary to halt or reverse the growth of the cancer. Adjuvant therapies may also be used to help the body’s immune system fight the disease. Some patients respond to this treatment, but many do not. For advanced stage kidney cancer, immunotherapy may be necessary. Patients with advanced cancer may need to be put on dialysis. In some cases, a kidney transplant is an option.
In addition to the imaging tests, physicians may perform a biopsy to confirm a diagnosis. This means a doctor will take a small sample of tumor tissue and examine it under a microscope. The pathologist will analyze the sample under a microscope to determine the type of cells involved. In some cases, surgery is needed to remove the tumor. There are no guarantees in the diagnosis, but it is the only way to determine the type of kidney cancer.
While many cases of kidney cancer go undetected until the disease has spread to other organs, a biopsy is not enough to confirm the diagnosis. The biopsy is not likely to capture all tumor cells, so it may be difficult to diagnose the disease at the earliest stage. If the cancer is detected at an early stage, the chances of survival are good. If diagnosed in its early stages, the five-year survival rate for kidney cancer is about 93%.
Some doctors mistake renal adenomas for renal cell carcinomas. If suspected, renal adenomas are treated just like renal cell carcinomas. However, there is another type of cancer called an oncocytoma. These cancers grow large but do not spread to other organs. Surgical removal of these tumors often cures the patient. If the cancer does spread, treatment may be necessary. But the prognosis of an oncocytoma depends on its stage and the type of cancer.
