In most cases, the doctor or specialist will recommend surgery before any other treatment. Unless the kidney tumor is small or the patient has a compromised immune system, surgery is usually the best option to treat kidney cancer. Removing the tumor or the kidney entirely is the best way to ensure the cancer doesn’t spread to other organs or affects other bodily functions.

If you suspect you’re suffering from kidney cancer or if you’ve recently been diagnosed with kidney cancer, you should seriously consider surgery as your first option for treatment. Some other factors to consider regarding any surgery are:

• Age – The older you are the more risks there are to surgery.
• Immune system – If your immune system is easily compromised from a separate condition or disease, you’re at more of a risk for infection from surgery.
• Aversion to surgery – If your religion or culture is against surgical procedures, other, less effective options are available.

Your doctor or specialist will take all those factors into account before recommending surgery after looking over your tests and screening results.

There are two types of surgical treatments for kidney cancer. Each treatment depends on the size of the tumor and the overall health of the patient. The goal is to remove the tumor and maintain the overall health of the kidney but in some cases the entire kidney will be removed. Fortunately, you have two kidneys, and a single kidney can operate without the other. The types of surgical treatment are:

Removing the Tumor (Partial Nephrectomy)

This preferred method is also called kidney-sparing or nephron-sparing surgery is where the doctor removes the tumor and a small amount of the healthy tissues around it. This is a great option if the tumor is small or if the cancerous kidney is the only operating kidney in the body. This can be done with a single incision in the body, laparoscopically or with robotic assistance.

Complete Removal of the Kidney

If the entire kidney is cancerous or if the tumor is too big, the surgeon will remove the entire kidney along with a small border of healthy tissue from surrounding organs like the lymph nodes, and adrenal gland. This surgery is either performed through a single incision through the side of the abdomen, or with smaller incisions and robotic assistance.

If you have kidney cancer, surgery is probably your best option for recovery. The procedures are relatively painless compared to chemotherapy and have a proven track record of successfully eliminate cancer in the kidney.

At this point, you’ve probably researched your symptoms online and come to a conclusion about your condition. Maybe you’ve entered queries like “where to get kidney cancer treatment near me” or “urological oncologist near me.” If this is you Advanced Urology in Atlanta is here for you. Call Advanced Urology today at 678-344-8900 to learn more about treatment options and make an appointment.