How to distinguish between early-stage and advanced-stage kidney cancer
Disease description:
My friend was recently diagnosed with kidney cancer, but the doctor did not specify whether it is early- or late-stage. How can one distinguish between early- and late-stage kidney cancer?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Peng Xiaodong
The distinction between early- and advanced-stage renal cell carcinoma primarily depends on tumor size, degree of local invasion, and the presence of distant lymph node or vital organ metastases. For early-stage renal cell carcinoma, surgical removal of the affected kidney (nephrectomy) at a reputable hospital is the standard treatment. In contrast, for advanced-stage disease, targeted biological therapies—such as oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors including sunitinib or sorafenib—are commonly employed.
