Is kidney transplantation a viable option for people with kidney cancer?

Yes: Small cancers found incidentally have little impact on the ability to get a kidney transplant. Larger tumors or those that have spread away from the kidney will require the patient to wait a period of time (usually 3-5 years) to make sure that the cancer is "cured" before they are allowed to receive a kidney transplant.

It could be: If a patient with a localized kidney cancer (confined to the kidney) is cured after the cancer is removed, but in the process has lost their kidney function and needs dialysis, a transplant could be done. This generally requires a 1-2 year interval of time after the cancer is removed to be sure it has not returned. It will also depend on the type and the extent (stage) of the kidney cancer.

Not right away: One needs to be cancer free (2-5 years) before he or she can safely transplanted. A lot depends on the type of cancer and the extent of the disease (stage).