What Stage Is My Kidney Cancer?

The stage of kidney cancer refers to how far the cancer has grown or spread in the body. Staging helps doctors decide the best treatment plan and estimate how likely it is that the cancer can be cured or controlled.

Kidney cancer is usually staged from Stage 1 to Stage 4, based on the size of the tumor, involvement of nearby structures, and whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes or distant organs.

Stage 1

The tumor is 7 cm (about 2.7 inches) or smaller. It is confined to the kidney. This stage has the highest chance of successful treatment, often with surgery alone.

Stage 2

The tumor is larger than 7 cm but still confined to the kidney. The cancer has not spread to lymph nodes or other areas.

Stage 3

The cancer may have spread to nearby lymph nodes or major blood vessels around the kidney. It has not spread to distant organs.

Stage 4

The cancer has spread beyond the kidney to distant organs like the lungs, liver, bones, or brain. This is called metastatic kidney cancer and often requires systemic treatments such as immunotherapy or targeted therapy.

Doctors determine the stage using a combination of imaging tests (like CT or MRI scans), surgical findings, and sometimes biopsy results. The TNM system—which looks at Tumor size (T), Node involvement (N), and Metastasis (M)—is used to assign the final stage.

Knowing your cancer stage helps guide treatment decisions and gives you a better understanding of what to expect. Always ask your doctor to explain the stage clearly and how it affects your treatment options.

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