Renal Cell Carcinoma

• Types of Renal Cell Carcinoma
• Conventional Renal Cell Carcinoma Treatments
• Complementary Renal Cell Carcinoma Treatments
• Kidney Cancer Home Page

When you or a loved has been diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma, it can be an especially difficult time. You will likely have many questions, such as “Now what do I do?” or “Who can help me?” The first step in renal cell carcinoma treatment is to determine which treatment options are available based on your type of renal cell carcinoma and the state of your overall health. Once you are aware of the treatment options, you can use this information to decide which treatment center you feel is best for you.

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), we know that each person we offer renal cell carcinoma treatment to is unique. Taking what we already know about the disease itself, and combining it with what we learn about you as a person, gives us the opportunity to help provide you with an individualized renal cell carcinoma treatment plan. Treatment options we explore with you include conventional treatments as well as complementary and alternative therapies. When we have determined a treatment plan, you can count on the caring and supportive professionals at CTCA to stand with you in your fight against renal cell carcinoma.

As a first step in creating a treatment plan, CTCA invites you to call us at 1-800-615-3055 today. We maintain a staff of knowledgeable Oncology Information Specialists to assist you around the clock. If you prefer an online option, please take advantage of our online chat feature to gain more information about the renal cell carcinoma treatment options that CTCA may be able to offer you.

The Types of Renal Cell Carcinoma

As the most common form of kidney cancer affecting adults, renal cell carcinoma can be divided into four primary types. These include:

• Clear Renal Carcinoma
• Granular Renal Cell Carcinoma
• Mixed Granular Renal Cell Carcinoma
• Spindle Renal Cell Carcinoma

Of these four types, most people who develop this disease will be facing either clear renal carcinoma or mixed granular renal cell carcinoma. While different types of renal cell carcinoma will present different symptoms, some common symptoms to watch for include: blood in the urine, pain in the back and/or abdomen, abdominal swelling and an appearance similar to malnutrition. While these symptoms are not exclusive to renal cell carcinoma, they are warning signs. If you experience these symptoms, please consult a doctor as soon as you can.

Conventional Renal Cell Carcinoma Treatments

At CTCA, our sole mission is to help you overcome cancer. To do this, we empower you by keeping you completely informed through all steps of your renal cell carcinoma treatment. Together, we can develop a treatment plan that embodies conventional approaches to cancer treatment, such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and more. Further, we may discuss complementary and alternative therapies that may also aid you in your particular fight against renal cell carcinoma.

Some of the specific types of conventional treatment options we offer are as follows.

Fractionated Dose Chemotherapy. In contrast to traditional chemotherapy that delivers a large does of cytotoxic chemicals to combat renal cell carcinoma, fractionated dose therapy delivers smaller doses over a longer period of time, usually three-to-five days. This type of treatment is sometimes preferable as it may help reduce the impact of side effects that traditional chemotherapy can involve. Additionally, rather than one big dose, fractionated dose chemotherapy can keep a sustained effort on cancer cells.

3D Conformal Radiation. Using a technology called computed tomography (CT) to image and create a three-dimensional reconstruction of tumors and surrounding renal tissue, 3D conformal radiation allows for several radiation beams to be calibrated to match the exact shape of your tumor(s). This type of precision focus in renal cell carcinoma treatment allows for targeted treatment while leaving healthy tissue in the surrounding area largely untouched.

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy. Called by many the most important breakthrough in the last 30 years of radiation treatment, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is a leading edge technology offered at CTCA. IMRT presents great advantages in treating cancer cells that may be in hard-to-reach areas or areas that require extreme levels of caution in terms of radiation delivery. For renal cell carcinoma treatment, IMRT is especially useful in patients who have already experienced traditional radiation treatment, but continue to have recurrent tumor growth in a previously-treated area. This is because the targeted nature of IMRT allows for a higher degree of radiation that your cancer has already proven resilient against in traditional radiation treatments.

TomoTherapy^® HI-ART. Similar to IMRT, TomoTherapy^® uses the CT technology to create an image of your tumor, merely seconds before it delivers highly-focused and highly-concentrated degrees of radiation. However, rather than using select points from which to deliver radiation, TomoTherapy^® delivers powerful radiation from 360 degrees.

To learn if these or any other forms of conventional treatments are a viable option in your renal cell carcinoma treatment plan, feel free to contact CTCA at 1-800-615-3055 or online with our online chat option.

Complementary and Alternative Renal Cell Carcinoma Therapy Options

At CTCA, we believe that complementary therapies may play an important role in your effort to overcome renal cell carcinoma. As such, patients at CTCA work with their treatment team of oncologists to determine if, and which, forms of complementary treatment might help. We do this because, at CTCA, we make the commitment to treat not just your cancer, but to treat all of you.

For a complete list of our complementary and alternative therapy options, including nutrition therapy, pain management, spiritual support, and more, we invite you to visit our Complementary and Alternative Medicine page.

Learn More about CTCA

If you are interested in learning how our individualized treatment plans combining conventional and complementary practices can help you in your fight against renal cell carcinoma, please call us today at 1-800-615-3055, or contact us through our online chat to learn more. Our Oncology Information Specialists are ready to answer your questions and assist you in this important decision.

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