Kidney Cancer (Renal cell carcinoma)

Tumours of the kidneys may arise from various parts of the organ and any mass in the kidney should be investigated thoroughly.

Symptoms 

In the early stages of kidney cancer, renal tumours are completely asymptomatic. In more advanced cases, patients may present with blood in the urine.

Investigations may include:

• Medical history and physical investigation
• Urine samples and blood tests
• Ultrasound, Ct, and MRI scans
• A biopsy may be indicated​

​Treatment options 

• Partial nephrectomy is always considered as first line treatment to preserve the renal tissue if feasible and can be performed open, laparoscopic, and robotically.
• Radical nephrectomy is the removal of the entire kidney due to the extent or size of the tumour and can be performed open, laparoscopic, and robotically.
• Focal treatment using radio-frequency ablation of the tumour is a minimally invasive form of treatment. The tumour is destroyed using heat generated by a special needle which is placed into the lesion/tumour under US guidance.
• Oncologist may form part of the multidisciplinary treatment team if the cancer is at an advanced stage, requiring systemic forms of treatment.