Postoperative follow-up of renal cancer patients can be divided into 3 stages

Kidney cancer patients must have regular checkups after surgery. On the one hand, it is for follow-up of kidney tumors, the main purpose of which is to check for recurrence, metastasis and new tumors; on the other hand, it is for postoperative renal function protection and examination. Since most patients have only one kidney left after kidney cancer surgery, more attention should be paid to this kidney so that problems can be discovered and treated in time.

According to the time after surgery for kidney cancer patients, follow-up can be divided into several stages:

The first stage: about one week after surgery, mainly inquires about the general condition after discharge; checks the healing of the wound; informs the postoperative pathological results and prognosis; discusses further auxiliary treatment; and provides major disease insurance for medical insurance patients. If the patient's wound is dry and there is no special discomfort during this follow-up, family members can go to the hospital on their behalf.

The second stage is performed 4 to 6 weeks after surgery, mainly to evaluate kidney function, recovery after blood loss, and whether there are surgical complications. Patients who undergo partial nephrectomy will undergo a renal CT scan 4 to 6 weeks after surgery to understand the changes in kidney morphology and to provide comparison for future follow-up examinations.

The third stage is a long-term follow-up plan, i.e. patients with early renal cancer (T1-T2): follow-up every 3-6 months for 3 consecutive years, and then once a year; patients with mid- to late-stage renal cancer (T3-T4): follow-up every 3 months for 2 consecutive years, every 6 months in the third year, and then once a year.