The first comprehensive clinical guidelines on kidney cancer aim to double biopsy rates and prevent hundreds of unnecessary surgeries each year.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published its first kidney cancer guideline, which aims to double biopsy rates and prevent hundreds of unnecessary surgeries each year.
It introduces changes to how suspected renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is diagnosed and managed across the NHS, including a significant expansion in the use of renal biopsies to confirm diagnoses earlier, reduce unnecessary surgery, and improve outcomes for people with kidney cancer.
This guideline follows campaigning, evidence gathering and expert input from Kidney Cancer UK – whose Accord panel and clinical advisors worked closely with NHS England and NICE to demonstrate the need for clearer diagnostic standards, greater use of biopsy, and more consistent national care pathways.
“A few years ago, we approached NHS England to commission NICE to develop a clinical guideline for kidney cancer. When you see such significant variation in care, it’s often because there isn’t a standard framework that everyone is working within. For whatever reason, there hadn’t previously been a NICE guideline for kidney cancer,” Andrew Greaves, general manager at Kidney Cancer UK, told Healthcare Today in October last year.
New recommendations
Key recommendations in the new guideline include that a biopsy be offered to people with suspected RCC who have a renal lesion 4 cm or smaller, where a tissue sample can be safely obtained and that one be considered for larger lesions when imaging suggests they may be benign, before non-surgical treatments such as ablation, or when a patient requests one.
All patients should have access to a clinical nurse specialist with kidney cancer expertise, providing personalised care plans, follow-up schedules and clear points of contact. There should also be guidance on diagnosing and managing heritable genetic conditions that increase kidney cancer risk, including Von Hippel–Lindau disease (VHL).
In general, the guidelines recommend greater patient information and support, ensuring people affected by kidney cancer receive consistent, high-quality care throughout their treatment pathway.
“These new recommendations will help transform the diagnostic pathway, reduce avoidable harm, and give patients a clearer, more consistent standard of care,” said Greaves after the announcement. “This is a vital step forward, and we are proud to have played a central role in driving this change,” he added.
Kidney cancer is now the sixth most common cancer in the UK, with around 13,800 new cases and 4,700 deaths each year. Until now, many patients have had part or all of their kidney removed without a biopsy beforehand, meaning the true nature of the lesion is only confirmed after surgery. Kidney removal can have long-term consequences for health and quality of life. The new guideline aims to ensure that more patients receive an accurate diagnosis before any surgical intervention is considered.
link