Patient and Caregiver Knowledge and Utilization of Partial Versus Radical Nephrectomy: Results of a National Kidney Foundation Survey to Assess Educational Needs of Kidney Cancer Patients and Caregivers

There is a lack of patient awareness that kidney cancer and radical nephrectomy are risk factors for CKD. Only a minority of patients underwent partial nephrectomy or were given it as an option for their early-stage kidney cancer. This suggests a knowledge deficit among physicians, surgeons, patients, and caregivers alike that there is a bidirectional relationship between kidney cancer and CKD and that kidney-sparing surgery is preferable when feasible.