Stage I Cancer is found only in the kidney. Stage II Cancer has spread to the fat around the kidney, but the cancer has not spread beyond this to the capsule that contains the kidney. Stage IV Cancer has spread to nearby organs such as the bowel or pancreas or has spread to other places in the body such as the lungs. It may come back in the original area or in another part of the body. There are treatments for most patients with renal cell cancer.
Surgery is a common treatment of renal cell cancer.
This is usually done only in special cases, such as when the other kidney is damaged or has already been removed. Simple nephrectomy removes the whole kidney. The kidney on the other side of the body can take over filtering the blood. Radical nephrectomy removes the kidney with the tissues around it. Some lymph nodes in the area may also be removed.