When kidney cancer is diagnosed, the next step for the doctor is to determine its stage. With the staging process’s help, the cancer location and how far it has gone in the body can be determined. Not only that, but it also allows the patient to know their prognosis.

So, here’s what you need to know about kidney cancer – prognosis by stage:

• Stage 1 of kidney cancer
  It is essential to understand kidney cancer – prognosis by the stage for every patient since this is what the 5-year survival rate is based on. At stage 1, the cancer is the least aggressive, and thus, this stage has the highest 5-year survival rate. The tumor is small, and it appears in only one kidney. Cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes or any other organs at this stage. At this stage, the treatment plan comprises removing the tumor, and no therapy might be required post that. The recovery is also good for patients at this stage. The 5-year survival rate for stage 1 kidney cancer patients is 81 percent.
• Stage 2 kidney cancer
  This is a more severe stage as compared to stage 1 of kidney cancer. The tumor has grown bigger than 7 centimeters at this stage. However, it still appears to be limited to only one kidney. Just like stage 1, it still hasn’t reached the nearby lymph nodes or any other organs. The course of treatment at this stage will revolve around removing the affected kidney. A therapy post the removal of the kidney might not be required. As far as the prognosis is concerned, at this stage, the 5-year survival rate is 74 percent.
• Stage III kidney cancer
  There are two scenarios at this stage. In this first one, the tumor can be seen to have affected a nearby tissue and a major vein. However, it is yet to reach any lymph nodes. The second scenario suggests that the cancer tumor can be of any size and can also appear outside the kidney that it has affected. At this stage, the cancer cells can also have reached the nearby lymph node but are yet to go any further than that. Whatever the scenario may be, the treatment plan at this stage requires an aggressive approach. For stage 3 kidney cancer patients, the 5-year survival rate is 53 percent.
• Stage IV kidney cancer
  Just like stage 3, this stage also can have two scenarios. The first scenario suggests that the tumor has grown larger, and it has also invaded the tissue outside the kidney. It hasn’t metastasized, but it may or may not have reached the nearby lymph node at this stage. In the second scenario, the tumor can be of any size, reached the lymph nodes, and has also metastasized and reached other body organs. At this stage, the 5-year survival rate drops significantly to 8 percent.