What are the treatment options for tumors that appear confined to the kidney?
When the tumor appears confined to the kidney (a “localized” tumor), there are three main treatment options: tumor removal, tumor ablation and surveillance. Chemotherapy, hormone therapy and radiation therapy are not effective treatments for kidney cancer. Tumor removal: Tumor removal is considered the standard mode of therapy for most patients and is accomplished by performing a surgery called nephrectomy. Radical nephrectomy is surgical removal of everything within Gerota’s fascia, including the whole kidney. Partial nephrectomy is surgical removal of part of the kidney (in this case, the part that contains the tumor). The goal of partial nephrectomy is to remove the entire tumor while preserving as much normal kidney tissue as possible. The kidney tissue that is conserved may prevent the need for dialysis if subsequent kidney damage occurs. Nephrectomy can be performed through a traditional incision (open surgery) or through several small incisions (laparoscopic or retroperitoneosco
