What is locally progressive kidney cancer?

by Specialist

“Locally progressive” means that the primary tumor has not yet metastasized distantly, but has progressed so far locally that it has invaded the fat around the kidney, lymph nodes, large veins, and adjacent organs.

Therefore, for these patients with locally progressive kidney cancer, the first priority is to safely remove all visible tumors.

  • If the patient has lymph node metastases, all metastatic lymph nodes need to be cleared as safely as possible.

  • If the tumor invades a vein, the entire tumor, including the venous thrombus, needs to be removed.

  • If the adrenal glands or fat are invaded, complete resection is also required.

    • The biggest concern for patients with locally advanced disease is tumor recurrence, which ranges from a 20% recurrence rate within 5 years in intermediate-risk groups to a 70% recurrence rate in high-risk groups.