• Surgery. This is done to remove the tumor from the kidney. The whole kidney may be taken out, or only the part of the kidney with the tumor may be removed. Surgery is the standard treatment for cancer that is confined to the kidney and has not spread to other organs.
• Targeted therapy. These medicines attack specific areas in the cancer cells or target the tumor's blood supply. This is the most common treatment for more advanced kidney cancers.
• Biological therapy. This is used to treat the cancer and reduce the chance that the cancer will spread to other parts of the body. The treatment uses medicines that may help stimulate the body's immune system to fight cancer cells.
• Radiation therapy. This is used to kill cancer cells using high-energy X-rays.
• Chemotherapy. This is used to kill the cancer cells in the kidney and those that have spread to other organs.
• Ablation therapy. There are 2 main types of ablation therapy used to treat kidney cancer. They’re both done by putting a needle into an area of cancer cells. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) uses energy waves to kill cancer cells. Cryoablation uses freezing to kill cancer cells.

Health care providers are always finding new ways to treat kidney cancer. New treatments are tested in clinical trials. Before beginning treatment, it's a good idea to ask your health care provider if there are any clinical trials that may be helpful to you.