Renal Cancer Clinical Resource Area

It has been estimated that in the United States, 38,000 new cases and 12,840 deaths from kidney (renal cell and renal pelvis) cancer will occur. Renal cancer accounts for 3% of all adult cancers. Men are twice as likely to be diagnosed with renal cancers then women. Generally, renal cancer occurs in the fourth and sixth decade of life. Surgery is the most effect treatment for renal cancer.

Often a cure can be obtained if the disease is diagnosed and treated when it is limited to the kidney or surrounding tissue. Even when regional lymph nodes or blood vessels are involved with tumor, some patients may achieve prolonged survival and possible cure. Because a many patients are diagnosed when the tumor is still localized and can be surgically removed, approximately 40% of all patients with renal cancer survive 5 years. Occasional patients with locally advanced or metastatic disease may exhibit indolent courses lasting several years. Late tumor recurrence many years after initial treatment occasionally occurs. Although it rare, several cases of tumor regression have occurred in the absence of therapy.