Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of your fist. They are located behind the abdominal organs, one on each side of the spine. As with other major organs in the body, the kidneys can sometimes develop cancer.
In adults, the commonest form of kidney cancer is renal cell carcinoma, which begins in the cells of the small tubes in your kidneys. Children are more a type of kidney cancer called Wilms’ tumor.
The American Cancer Society estimates that nearly 51,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with kidney cancer each year. The incidence of kidney cancer appears to be rising, if it is not clear why. Many cancers of the kidney procedures established for other diseases or conditions. Imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT), used frequently to help more kidney cancers.
Symptoms
Kidney cancer rarely causes signs or symptoms in its early phase. In the later stages, kidney cancer signs and symptoms may include:
■ Blood in the urine, which appear pink, red or cola-colored
■ back pain just below the ribs, do not go away
■ weight loss
■ Fatigue
■ Intermittent fever
Your kidneys are part of the urinary tract, which removes waste and excess fluid and electrolytes from the blood, controls the production of red blood cells, and regulates your blood pressure. In each kidney, more than one million small filtering units, Nephron. As blood circulates through the kidneys, Nephron filter waste and unneeded minerals and water. The liquid waste – urine – flows through two narrow tubes (ureters) into the bladder, where it is stored until it is eliminated from the body through another tube, the urethra.
Exactly what causes kidney cells to cancer is not clear. But researchers have found that certain factors seem the risk of kidney cancer.
Types of Kidney Cancer
The most common types of kidney cancer are:
■ renal cell carcinoma. This type of kidney cancer usually begins in the cells of the small tubes of each Nephron. In most cases, renal-cell tumors grow as a single mass, but you can have more than one tumor in one kidney or tumors develop in both kidneys.
■ Transitional tumor. This type of kidney cancer develops in the tissue, the pipes, the kidney to the bladder. Transitional cell carcinomas can also be used in the ureters or the bladder.
■ Wilms tumor. Wilms tumor is a form of kidney cancer, in young children.
Risk Factors
Renal cell carcinoma risk factors
The majority of the kidney, renal-cell tumors are carcinomas. Risk factors for renal cell carcinoma include:
■ age. Your risk for renal cell carcinoma increases as you age. Renal cell carcinoma occurs most often in people 60 and older.
■ Sex. Men are more likely to develop renal cell carcinoma than are women.
■ Smoking. Smokers have an increased risk of renal cell carcinoma than non-smokers do. The risk increases the longer you smoke and drops after you quit.
■ obesity. People who are obese have a higher risk of renal cell carcinoma than people, as the average weight.
■ High blood pressure (hypertension). High blood pressure increases your risk of renal cell carcinoma, but it is not clear why. Some animals in research has linked high blood pressure medication to an increased risk of kidney cancer, but human studies have conflicting results.
■ chemicals in your workplace. Workers are exposed to certain chemicals at work may have a higher risk of renal cell carcinoma. People with chemicals such as asbestos, cadmium and Trichlorethylene may have an increased risk of kidney cancer.
■ treatment of renal failure. People who are long-term dialysis treatment for chronic renal insufficiency have an increased risk of developing kidney cancer. People who receive a kidney transplant and immunosuppressive drugs also more likely to develop kidney cancer.
■ Von Hippel-Lindau disease. People with this inherited disorder are likely to develop different types of tumors, including, in some cases, renal cell carcinoma.
■ Hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma. Having inherited this condition makes it likely to develop one or more renal-cell carcinoma.
Transitional tumor risk factors
Risk factors for a transition period tumor include:
■ Smoking. Smoking increases the risk of transitional cell carcinomas time.
■ chemicals in your workplace. Working with certain chemicals may increase your risk of a cancer-transitional period.
■ A medication. Phenacetin, from the market in the United States in the early 1980s, was with kidney cancer. Phenacetin in prescription and OTC painkillers.
If medical advice
See your doctor immediately if you have blood in the urine. In most cases this does not mean you have kidney cancer. Blood in urine may be a sign of many other conditions.
Tests and diagnosis
A kidney cancer diagnosis typically begins with a complete medical history and physical examination. Your doctor may also recommend blood and urine tests. If your doctor suspects a problem, or if you have a high risk of kidney cancer, you may also comprise one or more of the following tests to save your kidney for growth or tumors:
■ ultrasound. An ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves to take pictures of your internal organs, such as your kidneys and bladder, on a computer screen.
■ Computed Tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-scan. CT-scans your computer to create more detailed images than conventional X-rays. MRI scans use magnetic fields and radio waves to cross-sectional images of the body.
■ tissue sample (biopsy). In selected cases, your doctor may recommend a procedure to a small sample of cells (biopsy) from a suspected area of the kidney. In a biopsy, a surgeon uses ultrasound or CT images to a long, thin needle into your kidney to the cells. The cells are then examined under a microscope to determine whether it is cancer.
Biopsy procedure risks such as infections, bleeding and a very small chance that cancer could be based on the area where the needle is inserted. Because the surgery is usually the first treatment for kidney cancer, your doctor can biopsy be omitted, if he or she thinks your cancer is very likely to be cancer. In this way, you avoid the additional risks of a biopsy. Renal biopsy is usually for cases that are most likely to be noncancerous, or for people who do not undergo an operation.
Additional tests for the transitional period cell cancer
Tests and procedures for the diagnosis of renal cell cancer transition time may include:
■ X-ray imaging of the urinary tract (excretory organs urogram). X-rays of the urine can be signs of cancer. Your health care team to inject a dye into a vein in the arm. The dye is used by your kidneys and urinary tract and the dye makes it possible to your urinary tract on an X-ray.
■ Look in your bladder (Cystoscopy). Your doctor can take a long, narrow tube as a cystoscope to see inside the bladder. The cystoscope, with a light source and a special lens, is through the urethra into the bladder. A cystoscope can also be used to a small tissue sample (biopsy) from any suspicious areas.
Renal cancer staging
Once your doctor kidney cancer is diagnosed, the next step is to determine the extent or stage of cancer. Staging tests for kidney cancer, additional CT scans, a chest X-ray or other imaging scans your doctor feels are appropriate.
Then your doctor has a number, as a stage on your cancer. Stages of kidney cancer include:
■ I. tumor is small and on the kidneys
■ II tumor is larger than a stage I tumor, and is limited to the kidney
■ III. Tumor extends through the kidneys to the surrounding tissue or the adrenal glands, and can also be found on a nearby lymph nodes
■ IV cancer spreads outside the kidney or to distant parts of the body
Treatments and drugs
Together, you and your team will treat all your kidney cancer treatment options. The best solution for you depends on a number of factors, including general health, the type of kidney cancer to see if the cancer is and your own preferences for treatment.
Surgery
Surgery is the first treatment for the majority of tumors of the kidney. Surgical procedures for treatment of kidney cancer are:
■ Remove the affected kidney (nephrectomy). Radical nephrectomy with the removal of the kidney and the adrenal gland, which sits on the kidney, a border of healthy tissue and adjacent lymph nodes. Nephrectomy can be done by an incision, which means that the surgeon makes a large cut in the skin to access your kidneys. Nephrectomy or laparoscopy may be, small incisions, a video camera and small surgical instruments. The surgeon watches a video monitor to the nephrectomy.
■ Removing the tumor from the kidney (Nephron-sparing surgery). During this operation, the surgeon removed the tumor, instead of the entire kidney. Nephron-sparing surgery may be an option if you have only one kidney or if you have an early-stage kidney cancer.
What kind of surgery your doctor recommends will be based on your cancer and its stage, as well as your health and personal preferences. Operation carries a risk of bleeding and infection.
Treatments during the operation is not possible,
For some people, surgery is too risky. These people have other options for the treatment of cancer of the kidneys, including:
■ Blocking blood flow to the tumor (embolization). In this procedure, a special material is in the blood vessels to the kidney. With this ship pollution indicator, the tumor is no oxygen and other nutrients. Arterial embolization can also be used, or before an operation for relief of pain and bleeding if an operation is not possible. Temporary side effects include nausea, vomiting or pain.
■ treatment of cancer cells to freezing (cryoablation). Recent studies show, cryoablation may be useful for the treatment of kidney tumors, which can not be removed by surgery. During cryoablation, one or more special needles (cryoprobes) is inserted through small incisions in the skin and into the tumor. Gas in the needles creates extreme cold that causes the cells to the point of the needle for freezing. Doctors use CT scans to improve the procedures and to ensure that all visible cancerous tissue and some surrounding healthy tissue is frozen. Another type of gas in the needles creates heat melt the frozen tissue. Then the process repeats. The cycles of freezing and thawing cancer cells to die. You can see some pain after surgery. Rare side effects include bleeding, infection and damage to tissue surrounding the tumor.
Treatments for advanced and recurrent kidney cancer
Kidney cancer that again and kidney cancer that spread to other parts of the body can be cured. In these situations, treatments may include:
■ Surgery to remove as much of the kidney tumor as possible. Even when the surgery can not remove all of your cancer, in some cases it may be useful to remove as much of the cancer as possible.
■ drugs, the immune system to fight cancer (biological therapy). Biological therapy (immunotherapy) uses your body’s own immune system to fight cancer. Drugs in this category include interferon and interleukin-2, which are synthetic versions of chemicals in your body. This biological therapy drugs have serious side effects, including chills, fever, nausea, vomiting and anorexia. Biological therapy drugs are sometimes used alone or in combination after surgery.
■ treatment that targets specific aspects of your cancer (targeted therapy). Targeted treatments to block certain abnormal signals in kidney cancer cells that allow them to proliferate. These drugs have shown promise in the treatment of kidney cancer that spread to other areas of the body. Two specific drugs, sorafenib (Nexavar) and sunitinib (SUTENT), block signals that play a role in the growth of blood vessels, the nutrients to cancer cells and cancer cells can spread. Temsirolimus (Torisel), another targeted drug, blocks a signal that the cancer cells grow and survive. Targeted therapy drugs can cause side effects such as rash, which is severe, diarrhea and fatigue. Targeted drugs can also be very expensive, sometimes costs more than $ 1,000 a treatment.
■ treatment of distant tumors. Kidney cancer cells that travel to other parts of the body (metastasize) can sometimes be treated. This depends on the number of distant tumors, their locations and your general health. Treatment options are limited to which your cancer has spread. Options could be for brain surgery or radiation for metastatic kidney cancer, based on the bone.
■ Clinical Trials. Clinical trials are studies of new therapies and new techniques for the treatment of kidney cancer and other diseases. Participation in a clinical study can you have a chance to get the latest therapies, but it can not guarantee a cure. Discuss the available clinical trials with your doctor and carefully weigh the benefits and risks. Many kidney cancer clinical trials with existing and new targeted therapies to the best ways to use this new class of drugs.
The treatment for transitional cell cancer support
Treatment of cancer cell transition time is typically an extensive operation to remove the tumor, ureter, kidney and part of the bladder. Surgery, to name only the tumor may be an option in some cases.
Chemotherapy may be useful in the treatment of cancer cell transition period, or that recurs. Chemotherapy is a drug treatment, the chemicals to kill rapidly growing cells like cancer cells. Other rapidly growing cells, as in your digestive tract and hair follicles, which also killed by chemotherapy drugs, which can cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting and hair loss.
Prevention
Steps undertaken to improve your health can help reduce the risk of kidney cancer. To reduce your risk, try to:
■ Quit smoking. If you smoke, quit. Many options are available for smoking, including scholarship programs, medications and nicotine replacement products. Inform your doctor that you want to stop and discuss your options together.
■ Eat more fruit and vegetables. Add more fruit and vegetables to your diet. A variety of fruits and vegetables helps ensure that you always all the nutrients the body needs. Replace some snacks and side dishes with fruits and vegetables can help you lose weight.
■ Exercise regularly. Target for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days. If you are not active before, get your doctor permits. Start slowly and gradually increase the time you exercise. Consider exercises such as walking or cycling.
■ a healthy weight. Work to maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight or obese, reduces the amount of calories you eat each day and try to exercise most days of the week. Ask your doctor about other healthy strategies that you lose weight.
■ Control high blood pressure. Ask your doctor to check your blood pressure to your next appointment. If your blood pressure is high, you can discuss ways to lower your numbers. Lifestyle measures such as exercise, nutrition and weight loss changes that can help. Some people need to make their drugs to lower blood pressure. Discuss your options with your doctor.
■ reduce or avoid exposure to environmental toxins. If you work with toxic chemicals, the special precautions such as wearing a mask and heavy gloves. In the United States, your employer is obliged to tell you what you may be exposed to chemicals on the job. Follow your employers’ safety and ask your doctor if there are other ways to protect from chemical exposure.
Coping and support
Each person copes with a cancer diagnosis in his or her own way. After the shock and fear, with an initial diagnosis begins to fall, you will find ways to provide you with the daily challenges of cancer treatment and recovery. Coping strategies that can help include:
■ Find out all you can about kidney cancer. Ask your doctor for more details of the diagnosis, such as what kind of cancer you have and the stage of cancer. This information can help you learn more about the treatment options that are available. Good sources of information are the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society. Both organizations maintain Web sites and hotlines you can contact for more information. Contact the National Cancer Institute, 800-4CANCER or 800-422-6237, or the American Cancer Society at 800-ACS-2345 or 800-227-2345.
■ Take care of yourself. Take measures to ensure the supply of the body during cancer treatment. Eating a healthy diet with fruits and vegetables, to exercise when you are up to, and enough sleep, so that you feel rested every day.
■ Gather a support network. Your friends and family are worried about your health, so that we can help you if they offer. Let friends and family take care of the small, everyday tasks, so you can focus on your recovery. Running errands, preparing meals and transportation are all possibilities, friends and family can help. Talk about your feelings with close friends and family can help you stress and tension.
■ Take time for you. Set enough time for themselves every day. The time during the reading, relaxing or listening to music can help you stress. Write your feelings in a journal.
Alternative Medicine
No complementary and alternative therapies are proved to successfully treat kidney cancer. But complementary and alternative medicine can help you with signs and symptoms of cancer and cancer treatment. Discuss your options with your doctor. Some complementary and alternative treatments such as acupuncture, massage and meditation have shown some promise in people with cancer with side effects