The following details explain the stages of kidney cancer:
Stage I: Cancer is confined to the kidney and is less than 7 cm in size. No cancerous cells are present in the nearby lymph nodes or other organs.
Stage II: The tumor is larger than 7 cm but still confined to the kidney, or it has grown into major veins near the kidney. There are no cancerous cells found in the nearby lymph nodes or other organs.
Stage III: Cancer has spread to the nearby lymph nodes (N1) but has not reached distant lymph nodes or other organs (M0). The tumor may also be any size and have grown into the fatty tissue that surrounds the kidney.
Stage IV: Cancer has spread to distant lymph nodes (N2), to other organs such as the lungs or bones (M1a), or both (M1b). The size of the primary tumor does not influence the stage IV designation in this case.
