Understanding Kidney Cancer

Answer 1

Kidney cancer consists of several varieties, the most common of which is renal cancer. Other types include transitional cell carcinoma and Wilms tumor the most common appearance of this disease in children. The problem usually begins first in the tubules of the kidney and spreads from there. If left unchecked, kidney cancer can affect other systems of the body and lead to life-threatening complications.

Causes and Risk Factors

Doctors are not sure exactly what causes kidney cancer, only that it starts when the cells in the kidney begin to mutate and form a tumor. There are several risk factors that have been linked to the disease, the primary of which include:

• Age Kidney cancer appears most often in those above 40.
• Gender Men are almost twice as likely as women to be affected.
• Heredity Those with a family history are at higher risk.
• Smoking
• Obesity
• High blood pressure
• Exposure to chemicals such as asbestos, cadmium or benzene.
• Long-term dialysis as part of treatment for kidney failure.
• Certain diseases, including Von Hippel-Lindau disease, lymphoma and papillary renal cell carcinoma.

While many of these can not be controlled, one can reduce their risk by removing the factors that they are able to.

Symptoms of Kidney Cancer

This condition rarely produces any noticeable symptoms during its early stages, though as it progresses, some of the following signs may appear:

• Blood in the urine
• Persistent pain in the side or back
• Weight loss and loss of appetite
• Constant fatigue
• Anemia
• Swelling in the ankles or legs
• Persistent or recurring fever
• A noticeable lump in the side or abdomen.

Most of these symptoms can be attributed to other health problems, so it can be difficult to self-diagnose kidney cancer. If multiple symptoms appear with no other explanation, one should immediately see a doctor.

Treatment of Kidney Cancer

The type of treatment that one receives will depend on which type of cancer he or she has, as well as their general state of health and whether or not the cancer has spread. The first line of defense is the surgical removal of either part or the entire kidney. Sometimes this can involve removing the surrounding tissue and lymph nodes as well.

When surgery is not possible, there are several other options available:

• Embolization Blocking blood flow to "starve" the tumor.
• Cryoablation Freezing the cancer cells.
• Radiofrequency Ablation Using electric current to burn out the cancer cells.
• Chemotherapy Using chemicals to kill the cancer.
• Immunotherapy Using the body's immune system to fight the disease.
• Targeted Therapy Attempting to stop the cancer cells from spreading.

Any of these techniques may be combined with surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible and increase the effectiveness of other treatments.

Kidney cancer that is allowed to progress will eventually destroy the kidney and spread throughout the body. There are many tests which can find kidney cancer, though early detection is important to successful treatment.