Kidney cancer can develop in one or both kidneys. Some types of cancerous tumors spread to other parts of the body while others grow bigger but do not spread to other organs. Irrespective of the type of kidney cancer, you should know the stages and treatment for the condition, so as to prevent it from progressing too much.

Staging of cancer refers to determining the location and size of the tumors and knowing whether or not it has spread to other organs. There are 4 stages of kidney cancer.

Stage I
In this stage, the tumor is limited to one or both kidneys and has a diameter not exceeding 7 cms.

Stage II
The difference between stage I and stage II is the size of the tumor. In this case, the tumor is still limited to the kidneys but is more than 7 cm in size.

Stage III
In this stage, the cancerous tumor would have spread to one of the following:

• At least one nearby lymph node but not to other parts of the body
• The main blood vessel in the kidney. It could also have spread to a nearby lymph node
• The fatty tissue in and around the kidneys
• The perinephric tissues and major veins but not the ipsilateral adrenal gland

Stage IV

When it comes to the stages and treatment for kidney cancer, this one is the hardest. In this stage, the cancer would have spread to the nearby lymph nodes and fatty tissue around the kidneys. It may have also spread to other organs such as the lungs, pancreas or bowel.

Along with the stages and treatment for kidney cancer, you should also be able to recognize the signs of the condition. Symptoms of kidney cancer become more apparent as the tumor grows larger. Some of the signs include:

• Bloody urine
• Loss of appetite
• Lump in the abdomen or side
• Unexplained weight loss
• Unexplained fever
• Tiredness
• Swelling of the legs or ankles
• Anemia

Once the cancer spreads to other organs, it may trigger symptoms such as:

• Coughing up blood
• Shortness of breath
• Pain in the bones

The treatment for kidney cancer depends on its stage, the condition of the patient, their case history, and the ability to survive a particular method of treatment. These are some of the methods that can be used to treat the disease.

• Surgery to remove the tumor or the entire kidney or the kidney, adrenal glands and surrounding tissue
• Killing the tumor by freezing it
• Using high-energy radio frequency to kill tumors
• Shrinking the tumor by blocking blood flow to the tumor
• Biological therapy that fights cancer by boosting the immune system
• Targeted therapy that involves targeting the cancer cells without affecting the other cells
• Chemotherapy or killing cancer cells through medication

Knowing the stages and treatment for kidney cancer is important and the only way of ensuring that you can the necessary treatment as early as possible. Unfortunately, since the cause of kidney cancer is not clear, it is not easy to prevent.