What is the Prognosis

Patients with renal cell carcinoma and their families are naturally concerned about what the prognosis is after the treatment. Sometimes they use statistics to try to figure out the chances of being cured. It is important to remember, however, that statistics are averages based on large numbers of people. They cannot be used to predict what will happen to a particular person because no two people are alike; treatments and responses vary greatly. The doctor who takes care of the patient is in the best position to talk with the patient about the chance of recovery.

The outlook for people with early stage kidney cancer is positive. Kidney cancer is often cured if it is found and treated before it has spread. Many researchers are trying to find better ways to detect kidney cancer at an early stage. They are also continuing to look for new and better ways to treat advanced kidney cancer.

When doctors talk about surviving cancer, they may use the term remission rather than cure. Although many kidney cancer patients are cured, doctors use this term because the disease can return. (The return of cancer after treatment is called a recurrence.)

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