Sunway city: Forty-seven per cent of kidney cancer cases in Malaysia are detected at a late stage, highlighting the importance of early screening for a disease that often shows no symptoms during its initial phases. Sunway Medical Centre (SMC), Sunway City, Consultant Urologist and Robotic Surgeon Dr Christopher Lee Kheng Siang said kidney cancer, also known as Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC), has a high cure rate when detected early.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Lee emphasized that RCC often developed silently, with early-stage tumours causing few or no noticeable symptoms, while late-stage disease was often incurable and treatment was mainly aimed at prolonging survival. "Early kidney tumours and cysts are usually silent. In most cases, they are picked up incidentally during abdominal ultrasound scans done as part of health screening," he stated. He further explained that symptoms tend to appear only when tumours grow larger, which may include pain in the abdomen or lower back, an abdominal swelling, or blood in the urine. In more advanced stages, patients might experience fatigue, reduced appetite, or unexplained weight loss.
Dr Lee noted that when a kidney tumour or suspicious cyst is detected, patients are referred to a urologist for further tests, typically involving a contrast CT scan of the kidneys and urinary tract. CT scans can diagnose kidney cancers with an accuracy of 95 to 99 per cent, and in most cases, a biopsy is not required before treatment. "Early RCC can be cured with surgery to remove the tumour," he added, explaining that depending on the size and location of the tumour, the procedure may involve removing only the tumour through partial nephrectomy or the entire kidney.
He highlighted that partial nephrectomy is always preferred when feasible, as it preserves functioning kidney tissue, which is especially crucial for younger patients, those with a single functioning kidney, or those at risk of developing chronic kidney disease. Kidney cancer surgery can be performed through open, laparoscopic, or robotic-assisted techniques, with the latter two involving smaller wounds, less pain, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery compared with open surgery.
Dr Lee stated, "Laparoscopic nephrectomy is now the gold standard for large kidney tumours that are not suitable for partial nephrectomy, with open surgery reserved only for the most complex cases." He further explained that robotic-assisted surgery allows surgeons to perform more complex kidney-preserving procedures using minimally invasive techniques, emphasizing that the technology does not operate independently as all surgical movements are controlled by the surgeon without any automated or artificial intelligence-driven actions.
He elaborated that the technology provides a three-dimensional, high-definition view and precise instruments that mimic the surgeon's hand movements, enabling complex partial nephrectomies that previously required removing the entire kidney. "RCC is a highly curable disease when detected early. Comprehensive annual health screening is the only reliable way to diagnose kidney cancer early, as it is often silent," he asserted.
Dr Lee concluded by stressing that many kidney tumours could be treated by removing the tumour alone to preserve kidney function through minimally invasive surgery, advocating for regular health screening for Malaysians who feel well and symptom-free, as it could be life-changing.