Kidney cancer is a difficult situation. This medical condition, most commonly Renal Cell Carcinoma, requires significant treatment and medical attention. If required, he or she may refer you to an oncologist (a cancer specialist) or a urologist (a kidney surgeon). Renal cell carcinoma is almost exclusively (in early stages) treated with surgery. Often the diagnosis is made based on appearance from an imaging modality (CAT scan or MRI). Then, the initial treatment is to remove the entire kidney. Most people have two kidneys and really only need one for normal function. As such, removing the entire kidney is not a problem, as the other kidney is there. In these cases, no transplant is needed. A renal transplant is used for other conditions more commonly. As mentioned above, a kidney transplant is not used for cancer. Transplants are helpful when both kidneys are severely injured and cannot perform their normal function. In fact, cancers are frequently a contraindication for the transplant.
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