Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is common kidney cancer. These cells populate over the lining of tubules. Tubules are tiny tubes within the kidney. Over time, these cancerous cells develop into a mass, causing some kind of obstruction. This type of cancer can happen in either one or both kidneys simultaneously.
The following factors may raise a person’s risk of developing kidney cancer:
Smoking tobacco can put anyone of high risk for developing this cancer.
It can affect both men and women. Men have 5% more chances of developing RCC.
It is witnessed to develop in older people between the age 50-70 years.
Obesity can also lead to RCC.
High blood pressure in men can also lead to RCC. High blood pressure is also called hypertension.
Painkillers such as aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen have been linked to the growth of RCC. Pain killers that contain phenacetin have been banned in the US for more than 25 years now.
People with low-functioning kidneys also have a high risk of getting Kidney cancer. Low functioning does not necessarily mean the stage of using dialysis, but before that also.
People on dialysis for a long time are prone to developing cancerous cysts in the kidneys. Such cysts can be detected at an early stage and eliminated before they become cancerous.
There is an increased risk of developing cancer if a person’s first-degree relatives have been diagnosed with the same. These relatives include parents, grandparents, siblings or children.
Usually, it is hard to feel any symptoms before the tumour has gained some mass. In several cases, kidney cancer is only detected in an advanced stage. However, you must keep a check on the following issues:
A person with kidney cancer can also have the following symptoms if cancer has stopped growing into other body parts:
As mentioned earlier, Kidney cancers mostly show symptoms at an advanced stage. Yet, you need to be alarmed if any of the following happens to you. Especially when Kidney cancer has affected any of your first-degree relatives
Blood in the urine
Pain in the lower back, one side (not due to any injury)
A lump on the side or lower back
Exhaustion
Weight loss for no reason
Fever for no reason
Depending on the various factors, there are many treatment options to address the problem of Kidney cancer. In most cases, surgery is the foremost step. After successful surgery, various types of therapies are used to break down the tumour.
Any unwanted cell or tumour growth occurring in either one or both kidneys qualify as kidney cancer. The most common type of kidney cancer is called renal cell carcinoma (RCC), where “renalis” stands for kidney in Latin. Other rare types of kidney cancers are transitional cell carcinomas and other rare tumours. This type of cancer can also occur in children due to Wilms tumours.
Kidney cancer is mostly curable when it is detected in its early stage of development. Today, medical science has also progressed to find suitable treatments to treat and cure Kidney cancer in its advanced stage. Overall, the cure rates are improving.
Some common symptoms include blood in urine, continuous pain in the lower back or in the sides, and fever.
RCC cancer can grow fast and tend to spread into other body parts such as the lungs.
If untreated, kidney cancer can outgrow from the kidney to other areas of the body. It can also damage the bones, lungs or brain.
No, a blood test can’t confirm kidney cancer. However, CBC and blood chemistry test can show some anomalies basis which your doctor will ask you to take further tests to confirm.
It is a serious disease and needs medical procedures to eliminate it from the body. It can cause severe pain and damage to many body parts.
Survival can depend on various factors, such as the stage of cancer, damage in other bod parts, diet, daily routine and more. For people with 75% of kidney cancer, a survival time of 5-years has been observed.
The tumour size can expand from 2.14 (range, 0.30-6.70) cm to 4.33 (range, 1.40-8.80) cm within 46 months. The tumour grows at the rate of 0.80 (range, 0.16-3.80) cm/year on average.
The appearance of a lump in the abdomen, back or side can signify a kidney tumour's presence. It feels like a stone is kept under the skin. It’s not necessary to feel or see the lump with naked eyes.
Overgrowth of certain cells due to a mutation in DNA can lead to the development of kidney cancer. However, it is difficult to calculate the factors that lead to kidney cancer. For example, smoking tobacco can also be caused.
It depends on many factors. If it is metastatic, kidney cancer doesn’t lead to death. Some therapies or surgeries can help destroy or minimize tumour. Also, many new surgeries have improved the rate of survival for kidney cancer patients.
Urologist, Uro Recostructive and Uro Oncosurgeon with 12+ years of experience.