Can kidney cancer that has spread to the lungs be cured?

Written by Wang Jian
Urology
Updated on December 14, 2024
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Kidney cancer usually reaches an advanced stage by the time it metastasizes to the lungs, leading to a generally low survival rate. For early and intermediate-stage kidney cancer patients, surgical treatment is typically employed. However, in advanced stages, especially when there are lung metastases, surgical methods are often not suitable. However, if the metastatic foci are small, it is still recommended to remove them surgically. Immunotherapy can be used for lung metastases, such as using interferon or targeted therapy. Targeted therapy tends to be effective, commonly using drugs like sorafenib and sunitinib for first-line or second-line treatment of metastatic kidney cancer. Although a complete cure is not possible, these treatments can significantly prolong the patient's lifespan, improve survival rates, and alleviate symptoms.

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Written by Wang Jian
Urology
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Is stage II kidney cancer considered early stage?

The staging of kidney cancer is primarily based on the size of the tumor, whether there is lymph node metastasis, involvement of adjacent organs or lymphatic vessels, and metastasis to distant organs. The TNM staging system is commonly used in clinical settings to stage kidney cancer, where "T" represents the depth of tumor invasion, "N" represents the status of lymph node metastasis, and "M" represents distant metastasis. Stage II refers to a tumor with a maximum diameter greater than seven centimeters but confined to the kidney. Stage II is further divided into stage IIA and stage IIB. Stage IIA refers to a tumor with a maximum diameter greater than seven centimeters but less than ten centimeters, confined to the kidney. Stage IIB refers to a tumor with a maximum diameter greater than ten centimeters, but still confined to the kidney. In the case of stage II kidney cancer, although it is an early stage, curative treatment can be achieved through surgery. Therefore, if diagnosed with stage II kidney cancer, it is vital to pursue aggressive treatment.

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Written by Li Yuan Wei
Urology
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Is nephroblastoma a type of kidney cancer?

From a broad perspective, nephroblastoma belongs to kidney cancer, but its characteristics are still different. Nephroblastoma, also known as Wilms' tumor or embryonal tumor of the kidney, is the most common malignant kidney tumor in children, generally 80% of cases occur before the age of five, with an average age of about 3.5 years. The main manifestation is an abdominal mass, most often incidentally discovered by parents or doctors. Diagnosis is generally made through renal ultrasound as an initial screening, while renal CT and MRI can clearly show the extent of the tumor and the surrounding lymph nodes and organs, and whether renal blood vessels are involved. Chest X-rays or CT scans can determine if there are any lung metastases.

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Written by Guan Hai Fang
Urology
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Is late-stage kidney cancer contagious?

Advanced kidney cancer is not contagious from person to person. Kidney cancer is when the tissues of the kidney undergo abnormal proliferation and the condition has advanced to a late stage. Generally, it is recommended that patients with kidney cancer follow a high-protein, low-salt, low-sugar diet, avoid foods that increase the metabolic burden on the kidneys, and focus on fine, refined, and soft foods to improve the efficiency of nutrient absorption. Patients can eat more fruits and vegetables to increase their intake of vitamins and fibers. It is also generally advised for patients to eat more garlic, avoid eating leftovers, overnight foods, pickled items, abstain from alcohol, especially strong spirits, and avoid smoking.

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Written by Wang Jian
Urology
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Can kidney cancer that has spread to the lungs be cured?

Kidney cancer usually reaches an advanced stage by the time it metastasizes to the lungs, leading to a generally low survival rate. For early and intermediate-stage kidney cancer patients, surgical treatment is typically employed. However, in advanced stages, especially when there are lung metastases, surgical methods are often not suitable. However, if the metastatic foci are small, it is still recommended to remove them surgically. Immunotherapy can be used for lung metastases, such as using interferon or targeted therapy. Targeted therapy tends to be effective, commonly using drugs like sorafenib and sunitinib for first-line or second-line treatment of metastatic kidney cancer. Although a complete cure is not possible, these treatments can significantly prolong the patient's lifespan, improve survival rates, and alleviate symptoms.

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Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
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What are the early symptoms of kidney cancer?

Many cases of kidney cancer often have no obvious symptoms in their early stages and are not discovered until the tumor progresses. After the tumor progresses, symptoms may include hematuria, which can be intermittent, painless, and visible throughout its course. There may also be back pain and a lump in the abdomen, which is evident in about twenty percent of cases. Slim individuals might find it easier to detect such lumps. There are also some extrarenal manifestations including fever, weight loss, accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, anemia, hypertension, polycythemia, hypercalcemia, liver function impairment, etc. These symptoms might appear in the early stages. However, symptoms can vary from person to person.