Kidney cancer develops in the kidney tissue cells and is diagnosed through urine and blood tests, as well as with X-rays, ultrasounds and MRI. The National Cancer Institute states that on occasion a biopsy will be used to test for kidney cancer, and then a pathologist will examine the cancerous tissue to see whether surgery is recommended. The stage that the kidney cancer is in must be determined in order to treat it effectively, and this is done through examining the tumor size with CT scans or MRIs.
Stage 1
According to the California Kidney Cancer Foundation, the first stage of kidney cancer, Stage I, is diagnosed when a kidney tumor is found but is no larger than 2.75 inches across. To picture this, it is the average size of a tennis ball. In Stage 1 the cancer cells are still localized within the kidney, and have not spread to other parts of the body.
Stage 2
In the second stage of kidney cancer, the tumor has grown beyond 2.75 inches. There are two views on the movement of cells in Stage 2 kidney cancer. The National Cancer Institute states that even though the tumor is larger, the cancerous cells will only be found within the kidney. According to the American Urological Association, the tumor has grown to invade the fatty tissue that surrounds the kidney, but has not spread to other areas. The National Cancer Institute considers such growth a part of Stage 3 kidney cancer.
Stage 3
In Stage 3 of kidney cancer, several changes have taken place since Stage 1. The cancerous cells may now have spread into other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes or blood stream, or the tumor may have grown beyond the kidney to now invade other organs, such as the adrenal glands. While the tumor growing into other organs is part of Stage 3 according to the National Cancer Institute and the Mayo Clinic, this is considered a Stage 4 movement by the American Urological Association.
Stage 4
The National Cancer Institute, American Urological Association, and the Mayo Clinic are all in agreement on Stage 4 kidney cancer. Not only has the tumor grown in size and spread to surrounding organs and tissues, but cancerous cells have now spread through the lymph nodes and into other areas of the body, such as the lungs, pancreas or liver. Treatment at this stage must be aggressive.
If you, or a loved one, have been diagnosed with kidney cancer, be sure to get clear definition from your urologist as to what specific changes he is referring to when discussing the stages of the disease so you have a clear understanding of what is happening within the body.
