In short
Surgery is the main treatment for kidney cancer that has not spread — removing the tumour and part or all of the kidney. Small masses are sometimes watched. Advanced disease may be treated with targeted drugs or immunotherapy rather than chemotherapy. Stage 1 five-year survival is over 90%. World Aid Network funds care overseas for patients who cannot pay.
A urologist and cancer team plan treatment around size, position and whether the other kidney is healthy.
What operations are offered?
Partial nephrectomy removes the tumour and saves the rest of the kidney. Radical nephrectomy removes the whole kidney. Keyhole surgery is common when it is safe.
Can small tumours be watched?
Some small, slow-growing masses in older or frailer people are monitored with scans. That is an active decision, not neglect.
What if the cancer has spread?
Standard chemotherapy does not work well for most kidney cancers. Targeted tablets and immunotherapy are the usual systemic options in UK practice. Ablation or radiotherapy may help selected sites of spread.
What are the key takeaways?
- Surgery is the main treatment for localised kidney cancer.
- You can live with one working kidney.
- Later disease uses targeted drugs or immunotherapy, not classic chemotherapy.
Care like this is out of reach for millions
The diagnosis, screening and treatment described here are routine in the UK. In Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia, poverty puts them out of reach — so a treatable cancer too often becomes a fatal one. World Aid Network funds treatment through locally-licensed oncologists for patients who cannot pay.
Frequently asked questions
Can I live with one kidney?
Most people can. Remaining kidney function is checked before and after surgery.
Is ablation the same as surgery?
No. Heat or freezing can treat some small tumours without removing the kidney. Not every mass is suitable.
Do you fund immunotherapy overseas?
Only if a licensed partner oncologist has recommended it and the hospital can give it. We do not fund research trials.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. It was reviewed by the World Aid Network editorial team for accuracy against NHS and World Health Organization sources. Always speak to a GP or qualified clinician about your own health.