In Hanoi, a 69-year-old woman named Ms. Binh recently underwent a health check-up and was diagnosed with a malignant kidney tumor measuring 1 cm in diameter, roughly the size of a pea. The doctors were able to partially remove the tumor, preserving her kidney and completely eliminating the cancer.
Ms. Binh’s biopsy results revealed that she had renal cell carcinoma in an early stage (T1), which was not causing any symptoms. Dr. Vu Huu Khiem, head of the Oncology Department at Tam Anh General Hospital, explained that at this stage, tumors are typically smaller than 7 cm. However, in Ms. Binh’s case, her tumor was only 10.55×8 mm – about half the size of a pea – much smaller than most cases of early stage kidney cancer.
Due to her history of ovarian cancer, previous surgeries, and poor health, doctors decided to perform laparoscopic surgery to remove part of her right kidney. This minimally invasive procedure was equally effective as open surgery but allowed for the preservation of more healthy kidney tissue and reduced post-operative pain, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery times.
Dr. Tran Van Hinh successfully performed the surgery on Ms. Binh to remove half of her right kidney along with the tumor following laparoscopic surgery technique
