Kidney Cancer

What is Kidney Cancer?

Kidney cancer is a disease where the cells in the kidneys grow abnormally and form a tumor. There are different types of kidney cancers; renal cell carcinoma is the most common type in them.

What causes Kidney Cancer?

The causes of kidney cancer are not yet known. However, being subjected to imaging techniques multiple times, smoking, obesity, advanced kidney disease, exposure to certain chemicals, high blood pressure and a family history of kidney cancer, increase the risk of getting kidney cancer.

What are the symptoms of Kidney Cancer?

As the size of tumor increases, the body starts showing the symptoms. Some of them are:

• Blood in urine
• Back pain
• Side pain
• Lump in the side or abdomen
• Unexplained weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Extreme fatigue

How is Kidney Cancer diagnosed?

While blood and urine tests give a clue on kidney cancer, imaging tests and biopsy are conducted to ascertain the presence of a cancerous tumor.

Imaging test

Ultrasound, CT scan, and MRI provide the visuals of the tumor.

Biopsy

A biopsy is conducted to determine whether the tumor is cancerous or not.

What are the treatments of Kidney Cancer?

The aim of kidney cancer treatment is to kill cancer or to separate the cancerous tumor from the body. Cryotherapy, Arterial embolization, Radiofrequency ablation, radiation therapy and chemotherapy and some methods used to kill cancer.

In case the cancer is advanced, the doctor may suggest one of the following surgical procedures:

Radical nephrectomy

A surgery to remove the kidney, adrenal gland, surrounding tissue and lymph nodes.

Simple nephrectomy

A procedure to remove the kidney

Partial nephrectomy

A procedure to remove the tumor along with some tissue around it.

All these surgeries can be done with a laparoscope.

Kidney transplantation is another but rare option in the treatment of kidney cancer.

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