Cancer Pathway
Kidney cancer is now often found by chance, on a scan done for another reason, while it is still small. Many tumours can be treated with the kidney kept. This guide explains the steps, one stage at a time.
Written for patients and reviewed by Dr. Anshuman Singh, Uro-Oncologist, on 7 October 2026.
Start here
The kidneys filter the blood and make urine. The most common kidney cancer, renal cell carcinoma, starts in the kidney tissue itself. A different kind starts in the lining of the kidney’s drainage channel; it is covered in the Upper Tract guide.
Not every kidney lump is cancer, and not every cancer needs the same treatment. The tests below decide how likely the lump is to be cancer, how far it has gone, and how well the other kidney is working.
Step 1
Treatment is chosen only after these results are put together.
Step 2
Choose your stage and a few details. The page then shows what it means, the options, what to take into account and what to ask, with a checklist you can download.
Living with treatment
These depend on the treatment chosen. Most can be reduced or managed, so ask about them before you decide.
After treatment
Common questions
Yes. One healthy kidney is enough for normal life for most people. It is important to protect it by controlling blood pressure and diabetes and avoiding unnecessary painkillers.
No. Some lumps are harmless cysts or non-cancerous tumours. A scan, and sometimes a biopsy, helps to tell them apart.
Not usually. Kidney cancer responds poorly to traditional chemotherapy. When it has spread, immunotherapy and targeted tablets are used instead.
Some small tumours grow slowly and can be watched with regular scans, mainly in older patients or those with other illnesses. This is decided case by case.
It depends on the stage and the findings in the removed tumour. Scoring systems use the final report to estimate it and to plan how closely you are followed.
This guide is general information and does not replace a medical opinion. An unhurried one-to-one discussion with Dr. Anshuman Singh, with your family welcome, so that you understand every option before you decide. Bring your reports and scans to a consultation with Dr. Anshuman Singh, in the clinic or by teleconsultation.