Nephrectomy with Vein/Vena Cava Involvement
Kidney Tumor with Vena Cava Invasion
Kidney cancers are unique for a few reasons. One reason is that renal cell carcinoma can grow directly into the veins that drain the kidney and run up toward the heart. This growth of cancer into the veins is called tumor thrombus and represents a locally aggressive kidney cancer. While many aggressive kidney cancers can spread, surgical removal of the kidney tumor and tumor thrombus (radical nephrectomy with tumor thrombectomy) can be curative for many patients if completely removed. Depending on the extent of tumor thrombus, these surgeries can be performed robotically or through an open incision. They often involve multidisciplinary surgical teams, which may include vascular surgeons, hepatobiliary (liver) surgeons or cardiac surgeons.
