Advanced kidney cancer
Some treatments can control advanced kidney cancer for a time and reduce symptoms.
Local treatment such as surgery or radiotherapy may be best if you have only one area of cancer spread. Targeted or immunotherapy cancer drugs might be a better option if the cancer is in more than one area, or the cancer has spread quickly.
You may have more than one treatment type to control the cancer. Your doctor will talk to you about the different options for your situation. They can also answer any questions you may have.
Doctors use different types of cancer drugs to control advanced kidney cancer. These are:
targeted cancer drugs that interfere with the way cancer cells survive and grow
immunotherapy drugs that help the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells
They can both stop or slow the growth of the cancer for months and sometimes years. You might have a targeted cancer drug or an immunotherapy drug, or both together.
These treatments may be helpful if the cancer:
has come back soon after surgery
is growing or spreading quickly
Read more about targeted and immunotherapy cancer drugs for advanced kidney cancer
Your doctor might suggest surgery if your cancer has come back in or near your kidney. They might do this if:
you haven't had your whole kidney removed already, and
the cancer has come back in another part of the kidney
Your doctor takes into account how healthy and fit you are when deciding if surgery is right for you. You must be in reasonable health to recover from a big operation.
Read more about surgery for kidney cancer
If the cancer has spread to one other part of the body (a secondary cancer or metastasis) such as the lung or liver, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove the secondary cancer. They may refer you to a specialist surgeon for your operation. Taking out the secondary cancer can slow down the growth of cancer in the body. This may help you stay well for longer.
Read about treatments for secondary cancer
If all the cancer is removed by surgery, your doctor may recommend you have immunotherapy to lower the chance of the cancer coming back.
Read about having immunotherapy after surgery if there is a high chance of the cancer coming back
Unfortunately, not everyone with advanced kidney cancer can have surgery. This may be because the cancer:
has come back soon after an earlier operation to remove it
has spread to more than one part of the body
is likely to spread quickly
In this case, your doctor may recommend you have targeted cancer drugs and immunotherapy, or other types of treatment.
Radiotherapy isn't used very often to treat kidney cancer. But it can help shrink a larger cancer to control symptoms such as pain and blood in the urine. Your doctor may recommend this if you can't have surgery to remove the cancer in the kidney.
Radiotherapy can also be used to treat symptoms from cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. It can:
shrink secondary kidney cancer in the lungs to help relieve breathlessness
help with pain if the cancer has spread to your bones
treat kidney cancer that has spread to the brain
Read about having radiotherapy for kidney cancer
Cryotherapy kills cancer cells by freezing them. It can shrink the cancer and help to control your symptoms.
Having cryotherapy depends on the size of the cancer. Your doctor might recommend cryotherapy if you can't have surgery. They might also recommend it for secondary cancer in the liver or the lungs.
You might be able to have this treatment more than once.
More about cryotherapy for kidney cancer
Microwave and radiofrequency ablation uses heat to kill cancer cells. It can help to shrink a cancer and control your symptoms. Your doctor may suggest it if you have a small cancer in the kidney or a small secondary cancer in the liver.
Read more about microwave and radiofrequency ablation
Your doctor may suggest blocking the blood supply to the kidney cancer. This is called renal artery embolisation. It can help to shrink the cancer and control symptoms such as pain or blood in the urine.
Arterial embolisation can also treat secondary cancer in the liver.
Your doctor injects small metal coils or a special liquid into the main blood vessel (artery) to the cancer. This blocks the blood supply and can shrink the cancer.
You may also have an arterial embolisation before or during surgery. This helps to reduce the risk of bleeding during the operation. For example, you may have it before surgery for secondary cancer in the spinal bones.
Read more about blocking the blood supply to kidney cancer
Symptoms can be caused by many things including the cancer itself. Or they can be a side effect of treatment.
Medicines can help control symptoms such as pain, sickness, diarrhoea and constipation. Let your healthcare team know if you have any symptoms so they can help you manage them.
Some people find complementary therapies can relieve pain or sickness. These include relaxation and massage which also help to reduce anxiety and stress.
There are many different painkillers and ways of taking them. You should be able to stay pain free most of the time with the help of your doctor or specialist nurse.
You can also try relaxation or breathing techniques to help you mange pain.
Read more about controlling pain
There are lots of different anti sickness medicines. Which one you need depends on what's causing your sickness. Tell your doctor or specialist nurse what relieves your sickness and what makes it worse.
Read about ways to manage sickness
Some people may decide not to have treatment for advanced kidney cancer. In this situation, you can still have medicines to help control symptoms such as sickness or pain.
Your doctor or nurse will explain what could help you. They can also refer you to a local symptom control team to give you support at home.
Last reviewed: 29 Jan 2024
Next review due: 29 Jan 2027
Advanced kidney cancer means it has spread beyond the lymph nodes to other areas of the body such as the lungs or bones. Treatment aims to control the cancer and relieve symptoms.
You might have a targeted cancer drug, an immunotherapy drug or both together to treat advanced kidney cancer. Your doctor looks at a number of factors to decide which treatment is best for you.
You might need some care and support at home due to cancer or its treatment. A lot of practical and emotional support is available to you.
There are organisations and support groups to help you cope with kidney cancer and treatment. There are also general support organisations that you can contact.
Researchers are currently looking at ways to improve the diagnosis and treatment of kidney cancer. They are also looking to see if there are better ways to check if cancer treatments are working.
Kidney cancer is cancer that starts in the kidneys. The kidneys filter waste products out of your blood as urine. Kidney cancer develops when abnormal cells in either of the kidneys start to divide and grow in an uncontrolled way.
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