How Are Kidney Masses Treated?
Knowing your treatment options
Learning about what treatments exist could help you ask better questions and make a plan with your care team that you feel comfortable with—whether that means careful monitoring or taking action.
Making an informed decision with your care team might help you:
- Feel confident with your decision
- Lower the chance of having a procedure you may not need
- Keep as much kidney function as possible, if treatment is needed
When choosing a treatment option with your doctor, it’s important to remember:
- Some masses are not cancer and might not need treatment at all
- Some masses grow slowly and may be watched safely
- Some masses may be more serious and require intervention
4 in 10 masses less than 4 cm are not cancer.
Talking with your doctor about your options
If you know what kind of kidney mass you have, you and your care team can work together to select an appropriate care plan. This is why it can be helpful to ask questions.
