Is a 3cm kidney tumor considered early stage?
Disease description:
My uncle was diagnosed with a kidney tumor, and the doctor said it is only 3 cm. It doesn't seem very serious. I would like to ask, is a 3 cm kidney tumor considered early stage?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Whether a 3cm kidney tumor is in an early stage cannot be determined solely based on tumor size; multiple factors must be considered comprehensively.
1. Size and staging: In most cases, a 3cm kidney tumor is considered early-stage, as standard kidney tumor staging criteria classify tumors smaller than 7cm that are confined to the kidney as early-stage.
2. Additional factors: Whether a tumor is classified as early-stage also depends on whether it has invaded the vascular system, renal capsule, perirenal fat, or adrenal gland. If the tumor, although small, has spread to these areas or has metastasized to distant sites, it is not considered early-stage.
3. Treatment and prognosis: For a 3cm kidney tumor classified as early-stage, the primary treatment is radical surgical resection, and the prognosis is relatively favorable.
