Common Questions About Kidney Cancer | Kidney Cancer Association (KCA)

Hear from kidney cancer experts as they provide answers and insights to commonly asked questions

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What is kidney cancer?	What causes kidney cancer?
What are the symptoms of kidney cancer?	Can kidney cancer be cured?
If I have kidney cancer, do I have to have my kidney removed?	Is there a connection between von Hippel-Lindau syndrome & kidney cancer?
What qualities should I look for in a surgeon/oncologist?	Should I get genetic testing for kidney cancer? When?
How will I know if my cancer returns?	How can I prevent my cancer from recurring?
Is it possible to prevent kidney cancer? How?	Are there causes of kidney cancer that can be controlled?
What should I look for and ask when choosing a doctor for my care?

How do you make a kidney cancer diagnosis?	Can I get a second opinion for my diagnosis? Will my doctor be offended?
What should you do when you receive a kidney cancer diagnosis?	How do kidney cancer subtypes influence treatment?
What are the first steps for someone diagnosed at stage I, II, III, IV, or metastatic kidney cancer?	What types of doctors will you see if you are diagnosed with kidney cancer?
What’s the difference between cancer stage and Fuhrman grade?

What is papillary RCC?	What is chromophobe RCC?
What is translocation RCC?	What is collecting duct carcinoma?
What is Wilms tumor?	What is hereditary leiomyomatosis?

What should I ask my doctor before treatment?	What are the short and long term effects of kidney cancer treatment?
Can I get a second opinion about my treatment plan?	What are the long term effects of repeated CT scans?
What treatment options do people with rare types of kidney cancer have?	What is the difference between systemic therapy and local therapy is kidney cancer?
What do I do if my doctor and I disagree about treatment?	Do you treat cancer in the kidney differently from metastatic sites?
Why are treatment options sometimes different in different countries?	What should a patient do if they don’t understand what their doctor is telling them?
What is the difference between adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy?

What should you ask your doctor before surgery?	Can you get a second opinion about a surgery? Will your surgeon be offended?
What should you expect before surgery and how can you prepare ?	What’s the best way to care for myself after nephrectomy? What activities would be limited?
What should you expect after surgery and how can you prepare?	How long would a patient typically have to stay in the hospital?
Do patients need special equipment at home after surgery?

What kind of side effects can patients expect from kidney cancer treatment?	How can patients best manage side effects from treatment?
What can patients do to mitigate side effects from kidney cancer treatment?	How do you tell your doctor that your side effects are too much to handle?

What kinds of supportive resources do hospitals have for patients dealing with cancer?	How can kidney cancer affect my relationships?
What kind of mental health support do kidney cancer patients need?	How to manage anxiety and depression that may be associated with kidney cancer diagnosis/treatment?
I worry about my cancer all the time. How can I manage my anxiety?	Where can patients connect with others who have gone through a similar experience?

What is a small renal mass?	What is the suggested approach for a benign small renal mass?
Can a small renal mass spread to other parts of the body?	If a small renal mass is malignant, what is the suggested approach?

What are you excited about in kidney cancer research?	What motivates you in your work?
Why did you choose to work in kidney cancer?	What’s on the horizon in kidney cancer research? (medical oncologist perspective)
What is on the horizon in kidney cancer research? (urologist perspective)	What is exciting in kidney cancer research?
How does the KCA support doctors?

Keep Learning:

The Kidney Cancer Association provides educational literature for anyone impacted by kidney cancer.