Cancer that forms in the tissues of the kidneys is called renal cancer.
Kidney cancer includes renal cell carcinoma (cancer that forms in the
lining of very small tubes in the kidney that filter the blood and removes
waste products) and renal pelvis carcinoma (cancer that forms in the center
of the kidney where urine collects).
Kidney cancer develops most often in people over 40, but no one knows the
exact causes of this disease. Research has shown that people with certain
risk factors are more likely than others to develop kidney cancer. Some
of the risk factors are smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, long-term
dialysis, Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, occupation, and gender.
Symptoms of kidney cancer can include blood in the urine, pain in the side
that does not go away, a lump or mass in the side of the abdomen, weight
loss, fever, and feeling very tired or having a general feeling of poor health.
If a patient has symptoms that suggest kidney cancer the doctor will perform
some tests. These include physical exam, urine tests, blood tests, intravenous
pyelogram, CT scan, ultrasound, biopsy, and surgery. A biopsy is done
to get a sample of tissue from the kidney to be sent to the pathologist
to look for cancer cells and determine diagnosis. The doctor also needs
to know the extent of the disease or stage to help plan the best treatment.
Staging may involve testing such as ultrasound, CT scan, and MRI. After
testing is complete your doctor will go over treatment options with you.
These include surgery, arterial embolization, radiation therapy, biological
therapy, or chemotherapy.
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