A cancer diagnosis is overwhelming, and you may have a lot of questions. One of the most important is, “What is my outlook?” The answer depends on your stage at diagnosis and how far your cancer has spread. The first step is getting a staging test, which helps doctors determine the best treatment plan for you. This is why it’s so important to discuss your situation with a medical professional.
Kidney cancer develops when cells in your kidney start dividing out of control and forming a mass called a tumor. The mass can become so large that it starts to interfere with your normal organs and blood vessels, which can cause severe symptoms. Your doctor can diagnose kidney cancer in the early stages by taking a urine sample or doing an imaging test of your abdomen—a computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. To confirm a diagnosis, your doctor may also do a needle biopsy, in which they place a long, thin needle into your kidney to withdraw a small sample of cells.
When you get a stage 4 kidney cancer spread to lungs life expectancy, your tumor has already grown out of the kidney and spread to nearby structures or lymph nodes. At this stage, the five-year survival rate is around 13%.1
Your doctor can use a combination of surgeries, radiation therapy, and systemic treatments to help you live longer with this disease. Medications that block the activity of cancer cells, called tyrosine kinase inhibitors or TKIs, can prolong your life when used in combination with other treatments.
For many patients, surgery is the best option, especially for those with localized cancer that hasn’t yet spread to other parts of the body. The surgical procedure can involve removing the affected kidney, along with some surrounding tissue and lymph nodes. The results are generally good, and patients are able to return home within a few days after the operation.
Sometimes, the tumor can’t be removed completely with surgery and it will continue to grow and spread throughout your body. This is known as metastatic kidney cancer and can be treated with drugs that block the growth of cancer cells.
As with any cancer, every patient’s situation is unique. The general statistics that are provided below are based on the experiences of people who have been diagnosed with the same stage of kidney cancer as you. Your doctor can explain these numbers and what they mean for you personally. This article will also help you understand the five-year survival rates and what they mean for your treatment plan. To learn more, click on the links above. Alternatively, you can also request an appointment with our cancer specialists to learn more about your specific situation. We’re committed to helping you manage your illness and improve your quality of life. We have more than 25 experts and more than 80 research laboratories devoted to developing immunotherapy treatments for kidney cancer, including several Nobel Prize winners.
