What Are the Treatments for Kidney Cancer That Has Spread to the Lymph Nodes?

According to the The American Cancer Society, kidney cancer is caused by cancerous kidney cells that grow to form a tumor. Even though most kidney cancers are discovered before they spread to other organs, these tumors can grow large before detection. Some symptoms of kidney cancer include loss of appetite, weight loss, extreme fatigue, and anemia. Kidney cancer can also cause bone pain and shortness of breath. When there is lymph node involvement, the cancer is usually in stage II or III.

Spread to Lymph Nodes

• Lymph nodes are small-bean shaped immune system cells that help fight infections in the body. According to the Reviews in Urology website, patients with Stages III and IV kidney cancer should undergo a limited lymph node dissection (LND) surgery, which involves removal of several lymph nodes closest to the kidneys to test for the presence of cancer. Patients with grossly positive lymph nodes should undergo a more extensive LND surgery with involves the removal of more lymph nodes. The type of LND procedure depends on how far the disease has spread.

  With this surgery, risks include lymph leakage, bleeding, and damage to surround tissues. Despite some of the risks, the surgery could lower the risk of local recurrence, provide more accurate staging, and lead to a cure in patients with metastatic disease by removing the affected lymph nodes. In addition to this surgery, most patients require a combination of therapies to deal with their kidney cancer.

Other Treatments

• During any of the stages of the disease, patients should receive supportive care, symptom management, or palliative care. This might include dealing with patients emotional and practical problems as well as relieving some of the side effects of therapy.

  Patients may also undergo three types of nephrectomy surgies: radical, simple, or partial. Radical surgery is when the entire kidney, the adrenal gland, and some of the tissue surrounding the tissue are all removed. Simple surgery only removes the kidney. Patients in Stage I may have this procedure. Partial surgery removes only the part of the kidney where the tumor is located. Patients with only one kidney, two cancerous kidneys, or a four-centimeter tumor may have this procedure.

Early Detection

• There are four stages of kidney cancer. In Stage I, the tumor measures seven centimeters or smaller. In Stages II and III, the tumor grows more than seven centimeters and/or grows near a lymph node, adrenal gland, or main blood vessel. In Stage IV, the cancer may spread beyond the tissue surrounding the area, two or more lymph nodes, or other organs such as the pancreas, lungs, or the bowel.

  Kidney cancer is easier to treat before there is lymph node involvement, so early detection is key. Kidney cancer can be detected by an extensive physical examination, tests, and a review of your health history. Urine and blood tests can detect blood in your urine and the function of your kidneys. Other tests include a magnetic resonance imaging scan (MRI) and an intravenous pyelogram scan (IVP). These scans detect soft tissues in the body and highlight any tumors found in your kidneys.