Kidney Cancer Prognosis

A kidney cancer prognosis is a medical opinion as to the likely course and outcome of the disease. Some of the factors that affect a cancer prognosis include the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, its grade, and the person's age, general health, and response to treatment. A doctor considering a patient's kidney cancer prognosis will consider such factors as well as statistics from hundreds (or even thousands) of cases; however, a prognosis is only a prediction -- even the doctor cannot know for certain what the outcome will be for a particular patient.

Kidney Cancer Prognosis: An Overview

People facing
 kidney cancer are naturally concerned about what the future holds. Understanding kidney cancer and what to expect can help patients and their loved ones:
 
  • Plan kidney cancer treatment
  • Think about lifestyle changes
  • Make decisions about their quality of life and finances.

 

Many people with the disease want to know their kidney cancer prognosis. They may ask their doctor or search for kidney cancer statistics on their own.

 

This article uses the term "kidney cancer" to refer to renal cell carcinoma, which is the most common type of kidney cancer.
 
[Click Wilms' Tumor or Transitional Cell Carcinoma (of the Ureter and Renal Pelvis) for information about other types of kidney cancer.]
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
 
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