page_title: Renal cell carcinoma
section_title: Management
hierarchical_section_title: Renal cell carcinoma / Management
caption_attribution_description: English: Micrograph showing a large artery with foreign material - result of an embolization procedure prior to a nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma. The renal cell carcinoma is not shown on the image. Kidney - cortex: multiple glomeruli and tubules are seen. H&amp;E stain. Low power.
context_page_description: Renal cell carcinoma is a kidney cancer that originates in the lining of the proximal convoluted tubule, a part of the very small tubes in the kidney that transport primary urine. RCC is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults, responsible for approximately 90–95% of cases. RCC occurrence shows a male predomiance over women with a ratio of 1.5:1. RCC most commonly occurs between 6th and 7th decade of life.
  Initial treatment is most commonly either partial or complete removal of the affected kidney. Where the cancer has not metastasised or burrowed deeper into the tissues of the kidney, the five-year survival rate is 65–90%, but this is lowered considerably when the cancer has spread.
  The body is remarkably good at hiding the symptoms and as a result people with RCC often have advanced disease by the time it is discovered. The initial symptoms of RCC often include blood in the urine, flank pain, a mass in the abdomen or flank, weight loss, fever, high blood pressure, night sweats and generally feeling unwell. When RCC metastasises, it most commonly spreads to the lymph nodes, lungs, liver, adrenal glands, brain or bones.
context_section_description: The type of treatment depends on multiple factors and the individual, some of which include the stage of renal cell carcinoma (organs and parts of the body affected/unaffected), type of renal cell carcinoma, pre-existing or comorbid conditions and overall health and age of the person.
  Every form of treatment has both risks and benefits; a health care professional will provide the best options that suit the individual circumstances.
  If it has spread outside of the kidneys, often into the lymph nodes, the lungs or the main vein of the kidney, then multiple therapies are used including surgery and medications. RCC is resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy in most cases but does respond well to immunotherapy with interleukin-2 or interferon-alpha, biologic, or targeted therapy. In early-stage cases, cryotherapy and surgery are the preferred options.
caption: Micrograph of embolic material in a kidney removed because of renal cell carcinoma (cancer not shown). H&E stain
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