Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer or renal cell carcinoma is one of those cancers that sneak up on you, symptom-free until it reaches a more advanced stage. As I've discussed in other articles before, your kidneys are the organs that are in the shape of a kidney beans and located behind the abdominal organs. There is one on the left and right side each. Kidneys are sensitive to many factors sometimes just like other organs and can develop cancer as well.

The type of this carcinoma mostly seen in adults is referred to as renal cell carcinoma. This cancer begins in those cells in the kidney's tubes.

There is rarely a symptomatology present in kidney cancer until later in this carcinoma type. When symptoms appear, they are:

Hematuria which is blood in the urine. Urine might be the color of dark cola, cranberry juice colored, or pink lemonade colored.

Flank pain that is very persistent.

Unexplained loss of your weight This is a common symptom of several cancers.

Up and down fevers

Since the kidneys are the most critical part of the urinary system since they are responsible for removing toxic wastes, and controls red blood cells,kidney cancer is terribly serious. Survival rates used to be very low with this carcinoma type, but they have come up with new treatments of late that extends the rate of survival beyond two years.

If you have a transitional cell carcinoma, this is the type that forms in the tissues responsible for the bladder to the kidney connection. These carcinoma types can also be withion the ureters or bladder as well.

Wilms Tumor is the type of kidney cancer that children have.

Risks for this cancer type

Age always increases the risk of any cancer.

Gender This cancer seems more common in men than women.

People who smoke Smoking raises the risk of the development of most cancers.

Overweight People that are overweight are at risk for renal cell carcinoma as well as many other medical problems.

Hypertension Having high blood pressure and some blood pressure drugs raise the risk of renal cell carcinoma.

Some chemicals Chemicals you may encounter in your workplace may have something to do with this carcinoma type.

Long term kidney failure People that have suffered kidney failure in the past, been on long term dialysis many times are likely to have renal cell carcinoma.

Heredity History of blood relatives having this cancer makes you more likely to develop it. The most common type if papillary renal cell carcinoma.

Diagnosis

If the nephrologist (kidney specialist) suspects this cancer, one of the first things he will do is examine the urine for blood, and then follow with an ultrasound.

A CT scan is a more advanced tool for detecting tumors more than regular x-rays that give many more details as to what tumors are present within the kidneys.

The doctor can do a cystoscopy where he or she takes a look inside the bladder with a cystoscope. A biopsy can also be done this way.

Staging

Your kidney specialist will place a stage on the cancer based on tumor size. It is usually the following:

Stage 1- the tumor is small and confined.

Stage 2- the tumor is larger and still just within the kidney only.

Stage 3- the tumor is now outside the kidney area and into the adrenal glands, and may go in as far as the lymph node.

Stage 4- The cancer is advanced, beyond the kidney area and in other body parts.

Surgery

Surgery may be done for kidney cancer in some cases. This is called a nephrectomy where the kidney is removed along with the adrenal gland.

They can also remove just the tumor from the kidney if it has not progressed beyond stage 2.

Other ways to treat

Other options when surgery is not an option is to do embolization. This blocks blood flow to the tumor. When the vessel is clogged in this procedure with a special material, it gives the tumor the inability to grow any further. Side effects you may have will be nausea, pain, or vomiting.

Freezing cancer cells may be an option. This is called cryoablation. Cryoprobes are an instrument that is inserted through your skin directly into the tumor. There is a gas in these needles causes the active cancer cells to freeze up, thus making them unable to multiply anymore.

Chemotherapy may be helpful in treating transitional cell cancer types.

For another interesting treatment done by one doctor, see the short video below on how he successfully treated his patient with another alternative.