Renal Cell Cancer Treatment in Bangalore | Nelivigi Multispeciality provides the Best RCC Treatment in Bellandur, Bangalore. Know the treatment options by our doctors through this blog. There are various treatment options for RCC. They range from non-surgical to surgical. They are as follows:
- Observation: This is a type of treatment where the patient is just kept under observation. No treatment is given at all. This type of treatment is followed when the tumour is very small (typically less than 2 cms) and the patient is considered high risk for any surgery. As long as the patient is under observation, he is subjected to regular tests like Ultrasound or CT scan to assess whether the tumour is static or progressing. The problem with this approach is that the patient is subjected to stringent and regular tests. The period of follow-up may go on for many years adding to the cost and causing inconvenience. Therefore it is not widely followed.
- Minimally invasive and non-surgical treatments: These are interventions but carry minimal morbidity to the patient. These include Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA), High Intensity Focussed Ultrasound (HIFU), Cryoablation, Microwave Ablation (MWA) etc. The common thing in all these treatments is the use of focussed energy to destroy the tumour. The energies used are electricity, ultrasound, heat with cold and microwaves. These procedures are done under general anaesthesia or its milder variant called sedation with analgesia. These procedures are advised in patients who have small tumours and carry a high risk for full-fledged surgery. The advantages are that the risks associated with anaesthesia and surgery are reduced. Also, the hospitalisation time and post-procedure pain are reduced. However, the disadvantages are that one is never sure whether the entire tumour has been destroyed or not. There is no technology today that can determine this.
- Surgery: This is the gold standard for treatment of kidney tumours for a very long time. Surgery can be either open or laparoscopic (keyhole surgery) with a trend towards laparoscopic surgery all over the world. The surgery is done under general anaesthesia and the tumour is removed completely. This ensures complete clearance at the end of surgery. There are the usual risks of anaesthesia and surgery but with modern techniques, they are very safe.
- Immunotherapy: This is an old method but with the advent of newer drugs, it has become more effective. It is used when the tumour has spread to neighbouring organs when complete removal of the tumour is not possible. It is also used when the tumour has spread to distant organs when surgery is not indicated. Immunotherapy is given either as tablets or injections.
- Radiotherapy: This has a limited role in the treatment of kidney cancer. It is given when there is residual tumour after surgery or when there is a recurrence of the tumour.
- Chemotherapy: Unlike many other cancers, kidney cancer doesn’t respond well to chemotherapy. Therefore it is not used.