Your prognosis depends on your general health, as well as the grade and stage of your kidney cancer.

These are the stages of kidney cancer. The higher the stage, the more advanced the cancer.

Stage I

A tumor 7 centimeters or smaller that is only in the kidney
Stage II

A tumor larger than 7 centimeters that is only in the kidney
Stage III

A tumor that is in the kidney and in at least one nearby lymph node
A tumor that is in the kidney’s main blood vessel and may also be in nearby lymph node
A tumor that is in the fatty tissue around the kidney and may also involve nearby lymph nodes
A tumor that extends into major veins or perinephric tissues, but not into the ipsilateral adrenal gland and not beyond Gerota’s fascia
Stage IV

Cancer has spread beyond the fatty layer of tissue around the kidney, and it may also be in nearby lymph nodes
Cancer may have spread to other organs, such as the bowel, pancreas, or lungs
Cancer has spread beyond Gerota’s fascia (including contiguous extension into the ipsilateral adrenal gland)