Kidney Cancer

Home » Kidney Cancer » Types of Treatment - Chemotherapy

Questions to Ask Your Doctor about Kidney Cancer
(Free Handout)

Chemotherapy uses chemical agents to destroy cancer cells throughout the body. Unfortunately, RCC has proven to be particularly resistant to chemotherapy. Research to develop more effective chemotherapy drugs to treat RCC is ongoing, however, and a number of them are currently being tested.

Drugs approved by the FDA to treat advanced RCC include sorafenib (Nexavar®), sunitinib (Sutent®), and temsirolimus (Torisel™). These drugs may slow progressive of the disease and increase survival time in some patients. They should be used with caution in patients who have high blood pressure (hypertension), heart or liver problems, bleeding disorders, or other kidney problems.

Side effects include rash, fatigue, mouth sores, diarrhea, and nausea. These medications can cause birth defects and women should not become pregnant within two weeks of taking them.

© 1998-2009 Healthcommunities.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Kidney Cancer Resources

	Join Our Kidney Cancer Forum Do you have a question, want to share medical advice, or just need to discuss your situation with someone else having a similar experience? The healthchannels forum is a resource for everyone to share and discuss their health and medical needs with others.	Advertising Disclaimer
	Living with...Share your story Do you have a personal health story that you would like to share with others? As a source of free patient education, our goal is to provide our users with trustworthy information and support from others. That's why we've started our "Living with..." sections.
	Our "Living With..." support pages are a place to share experiences about living with a certain condition, disease, disorder, or illness and for loved ones of those dealing with health-related issues. Many people, especially when newly diagnosed, find comfort in knowing that others are having a similar experience. Help others by sharing your story. View stories already submitted.
	Stay Updated Sign up for our newsletter and receive important updates on the medical conditions that are most important to you.
To quickly access health information from your website's browser, download Healthcommunities.com's healthchannels toolbar.