Kidney Cancer
What is Kidney Cancer?
Kidney cancer begins in the kidneys, two large, bean-shaped organs. One is just to the left and the other to the right of the backbone. The most common type of kidney cancer is called renal cell cancer.
Modifiable Risk Factors
Smoking: Cigarette smoking increases the risk of getting kidney cancer by about 40%. This risk drops some if you stop smoking.
Weight: A obese person has a much higher risk of getting kidney cancer.
Exercise: Several studies have found that people who are not very active are more likely to get kidney cancer than people who exercise.
Job hazards: Many studies suggest that exposure to certain chemicals on the job increases the risk of kidney cancer.
Other Risk Factors
Inherited risk factors: Some people inherit a tendency to get certain types of cancer.
Family history: People with family members who have kidney cancer (especially a brother or sister) have a much higher chance of getting the disease.
High blood pressure: This also increases the risk. People with high blood pressure are often treated with drugs, so it is hard to tell if the higher risk is caused by the drugs or the high blood pressure itself.
Medicines: A once popular pain-reliever (phenacetin) has been linked to kidney cancer. Because this medicine has not been used in the United States for over 20 years, it no longer appears to be a major risk factor. Some drugs used to treat high blood pressure and certain heart problems have also been linked to kidney cancer. It’s not clear whether the higher risk is caused by the drugs or the disease. But people who need these drugs should take them.
Kidney disease: People with advanced kidney disease who need to be on dialysis have a higher risk of kidney cancer. Dialysis is a treatment used to remove toxins from the body of people whose kidneys are not working.
Gender: Kidney cancer is found about twice as often among men as among women. This could be because men are more likely to be smokers and to be exposed to cancer-causing chemicals at work.
Prevention:
- Stopping smoking decreases the risk.
- Obesity and high blood pressure are also risk factors for kidney cancer.
- Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables decreases the risk.
- Also avoid exposure to harmful substances such as cadmium, asbestos, and organic solvents in the workplace.
Early Detection:
Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Cancer
Possible signs and symptoms of kidney cancer include:
- blood in the urine
- low back pain on one side (not from an injury)
- a mass or lump in the belly
- tiredness
- weight loss
- fever that doesn’t go away after a few weeks and that is not from a cold, the flu, or other infection
- swelling of ankles and legs
Talk to your doctor if you notice any of these problems. They are often caused by less serious conditions, but only your doctor can tell for sure. If there is any reason to suspect kidney cancer, the doctor will take your medical history and do a physical exam. Then one or more tests may be done.
Treatment
Surgery
Surgery is the main treatment for renal cell cancer. Depending on the type and stage, you might have one of the different types of surgery
- Radical Nephrectomy
- Key hole surgery also known as laparoscopic nephrectomy
- Lymph node dissection
- Partial Nephrectomy
- Removal of Metastases
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is treatment with high-energy rays (such as x-rays) to kill or shrink cancer cells.
Side effects of radiation can include
- mild skin changes that look like sunburn,
- nausea,
- diarrhea, or
- Tiredness.
Often these go away after a short while.
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