Kidney Cancer - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

What is Kidney Cancer?

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located below the ribs on either side of your spine. They filter out waste products from the blood and balance the levels of minerals, salts, and water in your body.

Kidney cancer is a general term used to refer to several different types of kidney tumors that can be benign or malignant. Malignant kidney tumors are more likely to grow larger, spread into surrounding tissues or organs, come back after treatment (recur), or cause death than benign tumors.

Kidney cancer is a rare disease that accounts for only about 3% of all cancers diagnosed each year in America. The average age at diagnosis is 65 years.

What Causes Kidney Cancer?

The exact cause of most kidney cancers is unknown; however, we do know that some cases may be caused by inherited gene changes and exposure to certain chemicals and viruses. Kidney cancer may also be linked to:

Smoking - the more you smoke the greater your risk of kidney cancer; smokers with one nonfunctional allele of the GSTP1 gene have a three-fold increased risk of developing kidney cancer as compared to those with two functional alleles. Non-smokers also have an increased risk as compared to those without this genetic change.

Diabetes - in addition to an increased risk of developing kidney cancer, diabetics with diabetes and a genetic change in the GSTP1 gene also have a five-fold increased risk of developing bladder cancer.

African Americans - between the age of 45 and 74 years, African Americans have a 50% greater risk of dying from kidney cancer than Caucasians. They also have an increased incidence of the disease.

The role of diet may also play a role in some cases; specifically diets lacking in fruits and vegetables. Chronic inflammation due to inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) is another possible cause. The use of talc in the genital area may also be a risk factor.

What Are The Symptoms Of Kidney Cancer?

Symptoms of kidney cancer are often vague and non-specific. The most common symptom is blood in the urine. Other symptoms may include:

·    a persistent ache in the back, side, or lower abdomen that does not go away or gets worse over time

·    a feeling of fullness in the abdomen

·    fatigue (feeling very tired)

·    high blood pressure for no known reason - high blood pressure is often found with kidney cancer but not all patients with high blood pressure have cancer.

How Is Kidney Cancer Diagnosed?

There are no routine screening tests for kidney cancer; however, there are tests that can be done to help diagnose it. These may include: Physical exam and history - your doctor will examine your body and ask you questions about your health.

Blood tests - a blood test is the most important test in the diagnosis of kidney cancer. Urine tests - a urine test may detect growth in the kidneys, even when there is no evidence of cancer in the rest of your body. It may also help determine if you have diabetes, a high risk for developing kidney cancer.

How Is Kidney Cancer Treated?

Treatment for kidney cancer depends on how advanced it is and which part of the tumor has been removed.

The most common treatments used to treat early-stage cancers are surgery and chemotherapy or targeted therapy.

If surgery alone is not possible, then patients will often receive an additional medical procedure called "staging.

How Many People Get Kidney Cancer Each Year In The United States?

About 8,000 new cases of kidney cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States. There are about 12,000 deaths from kidney cancer each year.

What Is A Benign Tumor?

A benign tumor is a noncancerous growth that can grow larger and affect other body systems. Benign tumors occur when cells divide out of control and form a mass of tissue beyond where it belongs, without causing harm to nearby tissues or organs.

Benign tumors can be caused by problems with cell division or by genetic damage, such as from exposure to ionizing radiation or chemicals found in tobacco smoke. Benign tumors can also be caused by an infection, such as a virus.

What is A Neoplasm?

A neoplasm [nahy-uh-plaz-uhm] is an abnormal tissue growth. A neoplasm can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

What is Cancer?

Cancer is a term for a disease in which abnormal cells divide without control and can spread to other parts of the body.

Cancer cells can invade nearby tissues or spread to other areas of the body through the lymph system or bloodstream, causing more cancer cells to form in new locations.