Discovering and Delivering Compassionate,
Coordinated Care
Kidney cancer strikes more than 36,000 people in this country annually. Here
in the Worcester region, however, kidney cancer rates are higher. You can count
on the kidney disease specialists at UMass Memorial Medical Center, in
Worcester, MA, for expert care.
Some of the kidney cancers we treat
include:
- Renal cell carcinoma – the most common kidney cancer – accounts for nearly
80 percent of all kidney cancers.
- Wilms’ tumor, a childhood cancer, is responsible for about 95 percent of
pediatric kidney cancer cases.
Our team works with a variety of specialists at the Medical Center to
evaluate warning signs and early symptoms, which may include:
- Recurrent fever
- A lump or mass in the kidney area
- Rapid weight loss
- Lingering, dull ache or pain in the side, abdomen, or lower back
- Feeling fatigued or in poor health
Our team of caregivers often treats kidney cancer with a surgery called
nephrectomy. Depending on the tumor size, and the location and stage of the
disease, the surgical oncologist may choose to remove the entire kidney (radical
nephrectomy) or just the portion affected by disease (partial nephrectomy).
In addition to surgery, our team may use other treatments to give you
the edge when fighting kidney cancer. These could include:
- Cryoblation or radiofrequency ablation – using heat or cold to treat the
tumor
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Immunotherapy
- Targeted therapy – using drugs or other substances to attack cancer cells
while doing little damage to normal cells
- Kidney sparing surgery
Research and Clinical Trials
Through our partnership
with the University of Massachusetts Medical School, our kidney cancer experts offer
you access to the latest clinical
trials. As a team, they are involved in cancer research to improve
treatments and results.
Ambulatory Care Center
To match the world-class care
provided for you, many outpatient cancer care services are located in our Ambulatory Care Center, which offers:
- Spacious and comfortable waiting, treatment and exam rooms
- Private and semi-private infusion rooms
- Quiet contemplative space
- Beautiful views of Lake Quinsigamond
A System Approach
Cancer care is also provided at UMass
Memorial Health Care community hospitals: