Stages
Kidney cancer be staged using the number staging or TNM staging systems. The table below shows the equivalent stages of both systems and the likely outcome of treatment by stage of disease.
| Number stage | Equivalent TNM stage | Expected outcome of treatment |
|---|---|---|
Stage 1 – the tumour is small and has not spread out from the kidney | T1 N0 M0 | Treatment is often curative and a return to health is expected |
Stage 2 – the tumour is large but has not spread outside the kidney | T2 N0 M0 | Treatment is often curative and a return to health is expected |
Stage 3 – the cancer has spread outside the kidney into the adrenal gland, the renal vein or into one lymph node near the kidney | T3a N0 M0 and T3b N0 M0 | T3a N0 M0 and T3b N0 M0 Treatment is often curative and a return to health is expected. |
T1 or T2 or T3 and N1 M0 T3 N0 M0 T3a N1 M0 T3b N1 M0 T3c N0 or N1 M0 | TNM stages in this group are rarely cured by treatment, a return to health after treatment often occurs but disease tends to recur. |
|
Stage 4 – the cancer is locally advanced – has invaded surrounding structures or has metastasised | T4 N0 or N1 M0 Any T and N2 M0 Any T any N and M1 | This group has a poor outcome; unless metastasis is very limited and treated by surgery – see ‘operations for metastatic disease’ in the treatment section. |
For most people with stage 1, 2 or 3 kidney cancer, surgery will be the first treatment. For early cancer confined to the kidney this can be very successful and may be the only treatment needed. For more advanced stage 4 cancers that have spread, treatment will be palliative, the only exception to this is where only one metastasis has can be found, so called ‘solitary’ metastasis. Those with transitional cell carcinoma may undergo adjuvant chemotherapy treatment after their surgery.
Amended February 2009
