Is it likely that renal cancer will recur after one kidney is removed?

Whether the disease will recur after unilateral nephrectomy depends on factors such as the stage of kidney cancer, postoperative treatment, and personal lifestyle. Most early-stage kidney cancers have a low risk of recurrence after resection, but late-stage or high-risk types are more likely to recur, so regular postoperative checkups and health management are very important.

1. The main reasons for recurrence of renal cancer:

① Disease staging: Kidney cancer is divided into early and late stages. Early-stage kidney cancer has a high surgical cure rate and a relatively low recurrence rate, while late-stage kidney cancer may have undergone micrometastasis. Even if the diseased kidney is removed, cancer cells in other parts of the body may continue to grow.

② Scope of surgery: If the resection is not complete or part of the renal tissue is retained, microlesions may be left behind. Some high-risk patients, such as clear cell carcinoma, are more likely to relapse.

③Postoperative lifestyle: Unhealthy diet, smoking, excessive fatigue, etc. may increase the risk of recurrence.

2. How to reduce the risk of recurrence:

①Regular follow-up: Abdominal imaging examinations such as CT and MRI and blood tests such as renal function and tumor markers should be performed every 3-6 months after surgery. Early detection of lesions is conducive to controlling the disease.

②Adjuvant therapy: Some high-risk and high-recurrence patients can consider targeted therapy drugs or immunotherapy after surgery. Commonly used targeted drugs include sunitinib, axitinib and cabozantinib. Immunotherapy mainly includes CTLA-4 inhibitors or PD-1 inhibitors, and the specific treatment should be based on the doctor's advice.

③ Improve your lifestyle: Eat more foods rich in vitamins, such as broccoli, spinach, and carrots, pay attention to a low-salt diet and avoid high-purine foods such as animal offal. Quit smoking and drinking, maintain regular exercise such as walking or yoga, but avoid overwork.

After surgery, patients need to work closely with their attending physicians, have regular checkups, and maintain a healthy lifestyle and mental state to significantly reduce the risk of recurrence. After nephrectomy, it is crucial to plan health management and early detection and treatment of recurrence of kidney cancer. Through reasonable prevention and control, the risk of recurrence can be minimized.