Kidney Cancer Canada: Your Supportive Partner When Living With Kidney Cancer

When facing the challenges of kidney cancer, no one should ever feel alone or uninformed. Kidney Cancer Canada, a compassionate and empowering network of patients, caregivers, and health professionals, provides support at every step.

This national community provides resources and a sense of community to patients, caregivers, doctors, and every Canadian touched by kidney cancer. All support, information, education, and advocacy services are provided in English and French.

Putting Knowledge First

Staying informed is vital when confronting any illness, and Kidney Cancer Canada excels in making information readily available. We host multiple webinars throughout the year and an annual National Forum featuring insights and advice from Canada’s leading kidney cancer physicians. These events offer a platform for patients and caregivers to access invaluable medical and treatment information, empowering them to make informed decisions.

We have boundless resources for lifestyle changes like cooking, nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, and stress management, all of which can be particularly helpful in the midst of illness. On top of guidance, Kidney Cancer Canada also offers community: Peer Support and Coffee Chats provide safe spaces for patients and caregivers to meet virtually to discuss all related topics. Our website contains a wealth of information, like a video knowledge library, which provides informative answers to questions by leading doctors.

Supporting a Brighter Future

We may be small, but we aim big! Kidney Cancer Canada also funds innovative research through support from generous donors like you. Teaming up with funding from the Warren Y. Soper Charity Trust, the Canadian Urological Association Scholarship Foundation and support from the Kidney Cancer Research Network of Canada, we are committed to finding better diagnosis opportunities, treatment, and hopefully a cure.

Kidney cancer is a unique, often ‘silent’ disease with no apparent symptoms until it has advanced or is found incidentally by diagnostic imaging. Symptoms can include flank or back pain, a lump or thickened area, or blood in the urine. When diagnosed at a more advanced stage of cancer, options for treatment can be more challenging.

Not all kidney mass diagnoses mean kidney cancer; it may be a benign growth. Your first specialist would be a urologist. A biopsy would determine the type, stage, and grade of the mass and next steps required. If the tumour is relatively small and localized (early stage), the most common treatment options are active surveillance with close monitoring and regular diagnostic tests or surgery to remove the tumour. Options for surgery methods and minimally invasive treatments such as radiofrequency ablation or cryoablation may be available depending on the size, position, and complexity of the tumour.

When the cancer is advanced, systemic treatment would be prescribed, monitored by an oncologist, and could be used in conjunction with surgery or radiation therapy. Immunotherapy offers excellent treatment options. Clinical trials offer access to new research treatments and expert medical care.

A Network of Hope

Although there is no cure, many patients are living and thriving with kidney cancer, some with no evidence of disease. It’s vital for Canadians diagnosed with or who are caring for someone with kidney cancer to utilize and educate themselves about the disease and treatment options. Kidney Cancer Canada is right beside you to help with your journey.

The holidays are fast approaching, and Kidney Cancer Canada’s Holiday Campaign is currently underway. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a difference. Visit kidneycancercanada.ca to learn more and donate today.