Kidney Cancer
If you have kidney cancer, the team at the Penn Medicine | Virtua Health Cancer Program provides pioneering care right here in South Jersey.
Your kidneys help keep you healthy by removing waste and extra water from your blood. If you have been diagnosed with kidney cancer, the team at the Penn Medicine | Virtua Health Cancer Program offers the most advanced cancer care.
Symptoms of Kidney Cancer
Kidney cancer may not produce symptoms until it has reached a more advanced stage. Signs of kidney cancer may include:
- Blood in your urine
- A lump in your kidney area
- Abdominal pain
- Fatigue, and a sense of not feeling well
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Low-grade fever
- Bone pain
- Higher blood pressure
- Anemia
- High calcium levels
Types of Kidney Cancer
There are four main types of kidney cancer:
- Renal cell carcinoma: The most common form of kidney cancer, renal cell carcinoma (also known as renal cell adenocarcinoma) forms in the lining of very small tubes in the kidney that filter blood and remove waste. It usually develops as a single tumor in one kidney, but can affect both kidneys.
- Transitional cell cancer: This type of kidney cancer forms in the center of the kidney where urine collects.
- Renal sarcoma: This form of cancer begins in the connective tissues of your kidneys, and can spread to nearby organs and bones.
- Wilms tumor: The most common kidney cancer in children, this type of kidney cancer is treated differently than adult kidney cancer.
Diagnosing Kidney Cancer
Tests your health care provider may recommend to diagnose if you have kidney cancer include:
- A urine test (urinalysis) looking for the presence of blood
- Blood tests, including a measure of your kidney function
- Imaging tests such as a CT scan, MRI, or ultrasound
- Biopsy of your renal mass
Kidney Cancer Treatment
Based on the stage of your cancer, your age, and other health factors, your Penn Medicine | Virtua Health Cancer Program team will target treatments to your precise needs.
Kidney cancer may be treated with:
- Surgery, including partial nephrectomy (removing part of your kidney that contains the tumor) and radical nephrectomy (complete removal of your kidney and surrounding tissue)
- Ablation, including cryoablation (freezing the cancer cells) and radiofrequency ablation (destroying cancer cells with an electrical current)
- Radiation
- Immunotherapy
- Chemotherapy
The Penn Medicine | Virtua Health Cancer Program provides these services and more in a coordinated and supportive environment.
The Virtua Difference for Cancer Care
An integrated team focused on you
The diagnosis and treatment of cancer requires a coordinated team of experts to collaborate on all aspects of patient care. The Penn Medicine | Virtua Health Cancer Program team includes Penn Medicine and Virtua physicians working together in New Jersey to provide individualized, state-of-the-art treatment and personalized care. Your case is reviewed by a team of oncology doctors, nurses, and other specialists. Working together, they develop a comprehensive plan to treat YOU, not just your cancer.
An integrated team focused on you
The diagnosis and treatment of cancer requires a coordinated team of experts to collaborate on all aspects of patient care. The Penn Medicine | Virtua Health Cancer Program team includes Penn Medicine and Virtua physicians working together in New Jersey to provide individualized, state-of-the-art treatment and personalized care. Your case is reviewed by a team of oncology doctors, nurses, and other specialists. Working together, they develop a comprehensive plan to treat YOU, not just your cancer.
Care for the whole person
Cancer affects all aspects of your life, and we’re here to address all of your questions and concerns. At the Penn Medicine | Virtua Health Cancer Program, your care plan includes more than medical or surgical treatments. You can also access resources such as counseling, pain management, and sexual wellness services.
Care for the whole person
Cancer affects all aspects of your life, and we’re here to address all of your questions and concerns. At the Penn Medicine | Virtua Health Cancer Program, your care plan includes more than medical or surgical treatments. You can also access resources such as counseling, pain management, and sexual wellness services.
Cancer clinical trials
We’re constantly working to improve treatments through clinical trials. If you choose to participate in a trial, you may have access to a promising new therapy before it’s widely available. We lead studies on immunotherapy drugs that attack the cancer cells in your body. And we investigate medications that target specific genetic mutations associated with several cancers.
Cancer clinical trials
We’re constantly working to improve treatments through clinical trials. If you choose to participate in a trial, you may have access to a promising new therapy before it’s widely available. We lead studies on immunotherapy drugs that attack the cancer cells in your body. And we investigate medications that target specific genetic mutations associated with several cancers.
Virtua Cancer Care Locations
With offices conveniently located in Moorestown, Voorhees, and Washington Township, there’s no need to travel across the bridge for your cancer care.