Kidney Cancer

What Is Kidney Cancer?

Kidney cancer begins in the kidneys, two large, bean-shaped organs - one located to the left, and the other to the right of the backbone. Kidney cancer may also be referred to as renal cancer.

About 63,920 new cases of kidney cancer in the US are expected to be diagnosed in 2014, according to the American Cancer Society. Kidney cancer is among the 10 most common cancers in both men and women.

For reasons that are not totally clear, the incidence of kidney cancer has been rising slowly since the 1970s. Part of this may be due to the development of newer imaging tests such as CT scans, which have picked up some cancers that may never have been found otherwise.

At Stanford Cancer Center, you will benefit from our highly experienced Urologic Cancer doctors, who treat a wide range and high volume of kidney cancers, including the most advanced tumors.

Kidney cancer expertise

At Stanford, our Urologic Oncology physicians offer sophisticated diagnostics, minimally invasive and laparoscopic surgery, cryoablation, targeted therapies and compassionate, personalized care.

We work closely with you to develop an optimal treatment plan that provides the best chances for a successful outcome.

Kidney Cancer and Renal Cell Carcinoma Program Highlights:

• Advanced imaging capabilities using new tracers for the detection of early and advanced disease
• Multispecialty tumor board of kidney cancer experts, who review patient records, imaging and pathologic specimens, and provide a comprehensive treatment recommendation.
• Robotic/laparoscopic partial or radical nephrectomy 
• Immunotherapies such as high dose interleukin-2 for advanced renal cell carcinoma
• Cryoablation, a procedure in which cold energy is used to destroy tumor tissue
• New targeted therapies that may be more effective and cause fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy
• Monthly urologic cancer support group meetings, including lectures on state-of-the-art treatments and clinical trials, as well as interactive patient/physician panel discussions
• Novel clinical trials using immunotherapy and combination agents