For many types of cancer, chemotherapy and radiation are typical tools for fighting tumours. But kidney cancer is often resistant to these treatments, and the reasons are still unknown. What we do know is that targeting the biology of kidney cancer tumours will be the key to earlier detection and more effective treatments.  

That’s why I’m working with my team at McGill University to develop effective “liquid biopsies” to predict whether renal cell carcinoma, the most common form of kidney cancer, will recur or metastasize and spread in kidney cancer patients.  

Because they rely on examining blood or urine for specific cancer biomarkers, liquid biopsies are much less invasive than traditional biopsies that remove cancer tissue from a patient using a large needle. Not only can these biomarkers tell us how aggressive someone’s cancer might be, they can also appear in blood and urine before tumours are detectable by traditional means—meaning they hold the possibility of finding, and treating, someone’s cancer sooner. 

This important work is being supported by a Kidney Health Research Grant from the Kidney Foundation of Canada. I’m grateful to the organization and its donors for helping keep kidney cancer research at the forefront. They are paving the way for more personalized care options for people living with kidney cancer, because the more information we can get about someone’s cancer through effective liquid biopsies, the more accurately we can design their care plans.  

The development of liquid biopsies for kidney cancer couldn’t come at a better time. Right now, kidney cancer rates are growing, and there’s an urgent need to better understand the disease.  

You can contribute to groundbreaking advancements in kidney research like this. Donate to the Kidney Foundation of Canada. Every dollar towards research has the potential to transform the future of kidney cancer and give patients better outcomes than ever.