Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer occurs when irregular cells grow in the kidneys, the two organs in the abdomen that filter waste from your blood. At BJC HealthCare, our urologists use advanced techniques to treat cancer and restore kidney function, preserving the kidneys whenever possible.

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Why choose us for kidney cancer?

Our team has decades of experience treating kidney cancer. BJC HealthCare offers excellent care for kidney cancer, at any stage. Our Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, along with its five satellite locations, is designated a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). 

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In addition to Siteman locations, BJC HealthCare offers comprehensive and convenient care in locations across the region. Our Missouri Baptist Medical Center program is nationally accredited by the Commission on Cancer (CoC). 

We combine a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach, research, and clinical excellence in locations designed by patients, doctors, and nurses. Decades of experience has taught us that when treating cancer, comfort and compassion are just as important as the science of medicine.

We offer: 

  • Kidney-sparing surgery: Surgery is the most common treatment for kidney cancer. Instead of taking out the entire kidney to treat a tumor, as some programs do, our surgeons can often remove only cancerous areas. The results is fewer side effects and improved long-term function.
  • Nationally recognized experts:  Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU medicine is a national leader in cancer treatment, research, prevention, education, and community outreach. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks the Cancer Center among the best in the nation. Siteman provides a full range of advanced diagnostic and treatment services for kidney cancer at Washington University Medical Campus and locations throughout the St. Louis metropolitan region, including Illinois.
  • Leading-edge treatments: Our team of urologic surgeons at Siteman Cancer Center performed the world's first kidney removal using minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery. Compared to traditional surgery, laparoscopic surgery substantially reduces pain and discomfort and allows quicker recovery.
  • Exclusive techniques: Our network of hospitals includes one of two major U.S. medical centers offering treatment for patients who aren't eligible for surgery. This group of patients may receive percutaneous cryoablation, a procedure that involves inserting probes through the skin to freeze small tumors.

The Siteman approach to kidney cancer

Siteman cancer physicians are actively involved in clinical trials that investigate new chemotherapy regimens, and other approaches to cure. Having your cancer treated at Siteman gives you access to new therapies that are as good as – or potentially better than – current standard therapies available elsewhere.

How is kidney cancer treated?

Patients from all over the country choose our team for kidney cancer treatment. We use minimally invasive approaches that preserve kidney function. Your treatment plan may include: 

Ablation

 For some patients, heat from high-energy radio waves or extreme cold can destroy the tumor. We insert small probes through the skin to reach the tumor.

Active surveillance

 Some small tumors may pose little risk, and we can carefully monitor them. We have the tools to identify which tumors require treatment and which need close observation.

Chemotherapy

Some patients benefit from chemotherapy. You take medication that destroy fast-growing cells in the body, including cancer cells.

Clinical Trials

Our patients have access to the latest cancer treatments and clinical trials through Siteman Cancer Center and Missouri Baptist Medical Center.

Kidney-sparing surgery

 Many surgeons simply remove the whole kidney, but our surgeons can often take out just the tumor itself. This preserves the rest of the organ and reduces the chance of long-term health problems. The use of this sophisticated approach depends on the size and location of the tumor, among other factors.

Laparoscopic kidney removal

We can remove the entire kidney through only three or four small punctures instead of the large incision traditional approaches require. Our team has also developed techniques to remove part of the kidney with this approach. Only a few centers around the country offer this complex procedure.

Radiation therapy

Our specialists use high doses of radiation to shrink or destroy cancer cells. We usually start with other treatment approaches if patients are healthy enough to withstand surgery.

Robotic-assisted surgery

 Our experts perform more robotic and minimally invasive surgery than most other medical centers nationwide. The surgeries use a robotic arm to increase precision and accuracy.

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