Kidney Cancer

Our urologic surgeons were instrumental in developing many of the minimally invasive techniques now in use for kidney surgery.


Symptoms of Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer usually doesn’t cause symptoms at first. It's often discovered by imaging tests done for other reasons.
After it spreads, kidney cancer may cause one or more of these symptoms:

  • Blood in the urine.
  • A lump felt in the lower back or belly.
  • Pain in the side or the back.

Treatments for Kidney Cancer

Surgery is the only way to cure kidney cancer. With improved imaging allowing earlier detection, the number of renal tumors diagnosed is rising. Recent advances in surgical techniques frequently allow surgeons to remove only the tumor from the kidney -- partial nephrectomy or nephron-sparing surgery (NSS). Nephron-sparing surgery allows preservation of the majority of the affected kidney without compromising cancer cure rates. Leaving patients with more kidney function dramatically improves their overall health and well-being, and reduces the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Pioneering Minimally Invasive Surgical Techniques

Our surgeons were among the first in the nation to perform a laparoscopic nephrectomy – removal of the kidney -- in patients with kidney cancer. They also pioneered the hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy (HALN), a standard in minimally invasive nephrectomy, and have taught the technique to well over 1,000 surgeons from the U.S. and overseas. The percentage of kidney cancer surgeries performed laparoscopically, rather than open, has grown dramatically since the HALN technique was developed. Now more than 90 percent of patients with kidney tumors are treated using a minimally invasive surgical approach.

Sixty percent of all of our kidney cancer patients now undergo nephron-sparing surgery called partial nephrectomy. Our surgeons are among the world's most experienced in performing robotic partial nephrectomies, which allow even more complex and larger tumors to be removed using a minimally invasive approach.


​Risk Factors for Kidney Cancer

Your risk of kidney cancer is higher if:

  • You smoke.
  • Your job exposes you to asbestos, gasoline or cadmium.
  • You have used too much pain medication over a long period of time.• You have Hippel-Lindau disease.

How Kidney Cancer is Diagnosed

If your symptoms make your doctor think that you may have kidney cancer, he or she will order imaging tests. The pictures from these tests usually show whether there is cancer in your kidney and how far it may have spread.



Meet our Urologic Oncologists:

Name Specialties Location
Ahlborn, David, MD Ahlborn, David, MD
4.8 /5
190 surveys
203.338.8760
  • Urologic Oncology
  • Urology
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  • Bridgeport
  • Milford
  • Wilton
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Dorin, Ryan P., MD, FACS Dorin, Ryan P., MD, FACS
4.8 /5
317 surveys
860.348.2500
  • Urology
  • Urologic Oncology
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  • Plainville
  • Bristol
  • Meriden
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Kesler, Stuart S., MD Kesler, Stuart S., MD
4.8 /5
446 surveys
860.947.8500
  • Urology
  • Avon
  • Farmington
  • Hartford
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Meraney, Anoop Mohan, MD Meraney, Anoop Mohan, MD
4.9 /5
274 surveys
860.947.8500
  • Urology
  • Hartford
  • Avon
  • Glastonbury
  • Manchester
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Shichman, Steven Jon, MD Shichman, Steven Jon, MD
4.8 /5
221 surveys
860.947.8500
  • Urology
  • Hartford
  • Avon
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Wagner, Joseph Robert, MD Wagner, Joseph Robert, MD
5.0 /5
381 surveys
860.947.8500
  • Urology
  • Farmington
  • Hartford
  • Manchester
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Meet our Medical Oncologists:

Name Specialties Location
Byrne, Brian James, MD Byrne, Brian James, MD
4.9 /5
249 surveys
860.621.9316
  • Medical Oncology
  • Internal Medicine
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  • Southington
  • Bristol
  • New Britain
  • Plainville
  • Southington
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Kamradt, Jeffrey Michael, MD Kamradt, Jeffrey Michael, MD
4.9 /5
313 surveys
860.972.4183
  • Hematology / Oncology
  • Medical Oncology
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  • Hartford
  • Avon
  • Hartford
  • Manchester
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Kane, Michael Joel, MD Kane, Michael Joel, MD
4.9 /5
182 surveys
860.443.4455
  • Medical Oncology
  • Hematology / Oncology
  • Internal Medicine
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  • Waterford
  • Norwich
  • Norwich
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Reznikoff, Glen Alan, MD, FACP Reznikoff, Glen Alan, MD, FACP
4.9 /5
258 surveys
203.255.4545
  • Medical Oncology
  • Internal Medicine
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  • Fairfield
  • Bridgeport
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Meet our Radiation Oncologists:

Name Specialties Location
Blakaj, Adriana, MD, PhD Blakaj, Adriana, MD, PhD 860.972.2803
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Hartford
Boyd, Timothy Stephen, MD Boyd, Timothy Stephen, MD 860.972.2803
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Hartford
Chaudhary, Ahmed Aziz, MD Chaudhary, Ahmed Aziz, MD 860.545.2803
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Norwich
Dowsett, Robert James, MD Dowsett, Robert James, MD 860.545.2803
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Internal Medicine
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  • Hartford
Hauser, Stephen Hiram, MD Hauser, Stephen Hiram, MD 860.972.2803
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Hartford
Iannuzzi, Christopher Michael, MD Iannuzzi, Christopher Michael, MD
-
109 surveys
475.210.5085
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Bridgeport
Kim, Susan Y., MD Kim, Susan Y., MD 860.545.2803
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Hartford
  • Norwich
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Kratzer, Allan S., MD Kratzer, Allan S., MD 203.694.8433
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Meriden
Leopold, Kenneth Albert, MD Leopold, Kenneth Albert, MD 860.972.2803
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Hartford
Oh, Steven Changsuk, MD Oh, Steven Changsuk, MD 860.827.4161
  • Radiation Oncology
  • New Britain

Meet our Urologists:

Name Specialties Location
Armm, Milton Frank, MD Armm, Milton Frank, MD
4.7 /5
120 surveys
203.338.8760
  • Urology
  • Bridgeport
  • Wilton
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Bieniek, Jared M., MD Bieniek, Jared M., MD
4.8 /5
364 surveys
860.947.8500
  • Urology
  • Farmington
  • Enfield
  • Glastonbury
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Chang, Johnny, MD Chang, Johnny, MD 860.496.8990
  • Urology
  • Torrington
Crawley, David F., MD Crawley, David F., MD
4.7 /5
303 surveys
860.443.0622
  • Urology
  • Waterford
  • Norwich
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DeVanney, James Francis, MD DeVanney, James Francis, MD 860.496.8990
  • Urology
  • Torrington
DiStefano, Anthony Joseph, MD DiStefano, Anthony Joseph, MD
4.9 /5
395 surveys
860.643.2731
  • Urology
  • Urologic Oncology
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  • Manchester
Griffith, John James, MD Griffith, John James, MD
4.8 /5
331 surveys
860.348.2500
  • Urology
  • Southington
  • Plainville
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Kershen, Richard Todd, MD Kershen, Richard Todd, MD
4.7 /5
209 surveys
860.947.8500
  • Urology
  • Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery
  • Reconstructive Urology
  • Urogynecology
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  • West Hartford
Leung, Cynthia Puisan, MD Leung, Cynthia Puisan, MD
4.7 /5
290 surveys
860.947.8500
  • Urology
  • Avon
  • Glastonbury
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McLeod, Brian Scott, MD McLeod, Brian Scott, MD
4.9 /5
376 surveys
860.564.9250
  • Urology
  • Plainfield
O'Brien, Keith Richard, MD O'Brien, Keith Richard, MD
4.8 /5
258 surveys
203.338.8760
  • Urology
  • Bridgeport
  • Fairfield
  • Milford
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Pyo, Paul, MD Pyo, Paul, MD
4.9 /5
546 surveys
203.238.1241
  • Urology
  • Meriden
  • Cheshire
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Ranta, Jeffrey Alan, MD Ranta, Jeffrey Alan, MD
4.7 /5
129 surveys
203.338.8760
  • Urology
  • Bridgeport
  • Stamford
  • Wilton
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Rosenberg, David Jeremy, MD Rosenberg, David Jeremy, MD
4.9 /5
499 surveys
860.643.2731
  • Urology
  • Manchester
Stahl, Brandon Christopher, MD Stahl, Brandon Christopher, MD
4.9 /5
283 surveys
860.886.1956
  • Urologic Oncology
  • Urology
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  • Norwich
Stein, Joshua Aaron, MD Stein, Joshua Aaron, MD
4.9 /5
422 surveys
860.643.2731
  • Urology
  • Manchester
  • Avon
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Tarantino, Arthur Edgar, MD Tarantino, Arthur Edgar, MD
4.8 /5
467 surveys
860.947.8500
  • Urology
  • Glastonbury
  • Farmington
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Telsey, Jonathan Ian, MD, FACS Telsey, Jonathan Ian, MD, FACS
4.7 /5
268 surveys
860.886.1956
  • Urologic Surgery
  • Urology
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  • Norwich
  • Waterford
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Weisman, Kenneth Martin, MD Weisman, Kenneth Martin, MD
4.8 /5
226 surveys
860.348.2500
  • Urology
  • Thomaston
  • Bristol
  • Plainville
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Wong, Jean F., MD Wong, Jean F., MD
4.8 /5
167 surveys
860.886.1956
  • Urology
  • Norwich
Yu, Stephen C., MD Yu, Stephen C., MD 860.496.8990
  • Urology
  • Thomaston

Tallwood Urology & Kidney Institute