Flood waters that swamped vast areas of southern Thailand and inundated its largest city have killed 12 people, officials said Thursday, bringing the flooding death toll from across the country to more than 120.

The government's Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said 122 people have died and nearly 6 million residents in 39 provinces in the northern, central, eastern and northeastern regions had been affected by two weeks of heavy floods in October.

But on Thursday, Hat Yai, the urban hub of the south, was coming back to life after the flood waters quickly receded Wednesday. Hundreds of residents gathered to clean up the main streets that were once accessible only by motorboats.

Rows of cars submerged in the flood waters were being removed from the streets and piles of trash taken away by trucks.

"It will take three days to clear up the garbage and make the city livable like before," said Hat Yai mayor Prai Pattano in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "My only concern is the water service is still not functioning and people don't have normal access to clean water."

Prai said he estimated the damage from the flooding in Hat Yai to be around 7 billion baht ($234 million).

A tropical depression that dumped constant rain on the region Sunday and Monday triggered the flooding in 11 out of 14 southern provinces.

Rail service to the region was partially restored Thursday morning and the airport on Samui island, a popular tourist destination in the Gulf of Thailand, reopened after a temporary shutdown caused by a submerged runway.

Thousands of troops were deployed and Thailand's only aircraft carrier had earlier been sent to help the victims in the coastal provinces.

The deluge in Thailand's south -- along a peninsula it shares with Malaysia -- followed two weeks of heavy floods in October, mostly in central and northeastern Thailand, that killed 107 people. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva described it as "one of the worst natural calamities" in decades.

Treatment for kidney cancer depends on the location and size of the tumor and whether the cancer has spread to other organs. The person's age and general health are also considered in developing a treatment plan to fit the patient's needs.

Treatment Methods

Kidney cancer is treated with surgery, embolization, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, biological therapy, or chemotherapy. One treatment method or a combination can be used, depending on the patient's needs. In many cases, the patient is referred to doctors who specialize in different kinds of cancer treatment. Sometimes, several specialists work together as a team.

Most kidney cancer patients have surgery, an operation called a nephrectomy. In some cases, the surgeon removes the whole kidney or just the part of the kidney that contains the tumor. More often, the surgeon removes the whole kidney along with the adrenal gland and the fat around the kidney. Also, nearby lymph nodes may be removed because they are one of the first places where kidney cancer spreads. Finding cancer cells in the lymph nodes means there may be cancer elsewhere in the body.

In embolization, a substance is injected to clog the renal blood vessels. The tumor shrinks because it does not get the blood supply it needs to grow. In some cases, embolization makes surgery easier. When surgery is not possible, this treatment may help reduce pain and bleeding.

Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) uses high-powered rays to damage cancer cells and stop them from growing. Radiation therapy can be used to shrink a tumor before surgery or to kill cancer cells that may remain in the body after surgery. For patients who cannot have surgery, radiation therapy may be used instead. Radiation can also be used to treat kidney cancer that has spread to the bones or other parts of the body.

The radiation comes from a large machine. The patient receives radiation therapy 5 days a week for 5 to 6 weeks. This schedule helps protect normal tissue by spreading out the total dose of radiation. The patient does not need to stay in the hospital for radiation therapy.

Surgery, embolization, and radiation therapy are forms of local therapy. They affect only the cells in the treated area. Hormone therapy, biological therapy, and chemotherapy are types of systemic therapy. The substances travel through the bloodstream and affect cells all over the body.

Some kidney cancers may be treated with hormones to control the growth of cancer cells. Some hormones are taken by mouth; others are given by injection. Patients do not need to be in the hospital for their treatment. This kind of treatment helps a small number of patients with advanced kidney cancer, especially when the disease has spread to the lungs.

Biological therapy is a new way of treating kidney cancer. This treatment attempts to improve the way the body's immune system fights disease. Interleukin-2 and interferon are two forms of biological therapy being studied to treat advanced kidney cancer. Doctors are also exploring the benefits of using biological therapy after surgery for early stage kidney cancer. This additional treatment is called adjuvant therapy. Doctors are trying to find out whether adjuvant biological therapy can prevent the cancer from recurring by killing undetected cancer cells that may remain in the body. Most patients having biological therapy must stay in the hospital so that the effects of their treatment can be monitored.

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy has not been very effective against kidney cancer, but researchers are studying new drugs and new drug combinations that may prove to be useful.

To diagnose kidney cancer, the patient's personal and family medical history and is taken and a thorough physical examination is conducted. In addition to checking temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and other general signs of health, the doctor usually orders blood and urine tests and may do one or more of the exams described below (if transitional cell carcinoma is suspected, other tests may be used).

An IVP (intravenous pyelogram) is a test that lets the doctor see the kidneys, ureters, and bladder on x-rays. The x-rays are taken after an injection of dye that shows up on the x-ray film.

A CT (or CAT) scan is another x-ray procedure that gives detailed pictures of cross-sections of the body. The pictures are created by a computer.

Ultrasound is a test that sends high-frequency sound waves, which cannot be heard by humans, into the kidney. The pattern of echoes produced by these waves creates a picture called a sonogram. Healthy tissues, cysts, and tumors produce different echoes.

An arteriogram is a series of x-rays of blood vessels. Dye is injected into a large blood vessel through a narrow tube called a catheter. X-rays show the dye as it moves through the network of smaller blood vessels around and in the kidney.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) uses a very strong magnet linked to a computer to create pictures of cross-sections of the kidney.

A nephrotomogram is a series of x-rays of cross-sections of the kidney. The x-rays are taken from several angles before and after injection of a dye that outlines the kidney.

If these tests suggest that a tumor is present, the doctor may confirm the diagnosis with a biopsy. A thin needle is inserted into the tumor to withdraw a sample of tissue. The tissue is examined under a microscope by a pathologist to check for cancer cells.

When a diagnosis of kidney cancer is made, it is important to know the extent, or stage, of the disease. Because kidney cancer can spread to the bones, lungs, liver, or brain, staging procedures may include special x-rays and tests to check these organs.

The most common symptom of kidney cancer is blood in the urine. In some cases, a person can actually see the blood. It may be present one day and not the next. Traces of blood may also be found in urinalysis , a urine test done as part of a regular medical checkup.

Another symptom of kidney cancer is a lump or mass that can be felt in the kidney area. The tumor may cause a dull ache or pain in the back or side. Less often, signs of a kidney tumor include high blood pressure or an abnormal number of red blood cells.

Symptoms may develop suddenly. However, as with other types of cancer, kidney cancer can cause a general feeling of poor health. People with this disease may feel tired, lose their appetite, and lose weight. Some have a fever that comes and goes.

These symptoms may be caused by cancer or by other, less serious problems such as an infection or a fluid-filled cyst. A doctor is consulted for a definite diagnosis.