Kidney Cancer Facts

Kidney cancer is one of the 10 most common types of cancer in both men and women. However, when detected at an early stage, it is one of the most promising neoplasms. In almost all cases, cancer cells first appear in the renal tubules. Fortunately, in most patients, kidney cancer is found before it has spread to other organs. In this article, we cover the most important issues about kidney cancer.

What is kidney cancer?

It is a cancer that develops within the kidneys, which are responsible for cleansing the blood of metabolic products and then eliminating them by passing them outside the body. This process occurs in the nephrons, where also the most common mutations responsible for the development of kidney cancer appear. Every year, more and more people are diagnosed. Importantly, mortality is slowly declining at the

What are the risk factors for kidney cancer?

• Age. People over 40 are most likely to develop kidney cancer;
• Gender. This type of cancer is almost twice as common in men as it is in women;
• Smoking. It is a factor that significantly contributes to the development of kidney cancer in both men and women. The risk increases with the duration of the addiction and the number of cigarettes smoked per day.
• Weight and diet. People suffering from obesity and arterial hypertension are very vulnerable to kidney cancer. Being overweight also contributes to the development of hormonal imbalances that increase the risk.
• Exposure to harmful substances, including asbestos, solvents, dyes etc.
• Genetics. This applies to people with many cases of this disease diagnosed in their families. In those cases cancer usually occurs at a young age.

What are the symptoms of kidney cancer?

Kidney cancer may be accompanied by the following symptoms:

• hematuria;
• a lump near the kidney;
• loss of appetite;
• persistent pain in the side of the back;
• weight loss;
• fever that lasts for several weeks;
• feeling of chronic fatigue;
• anemia;
• swelling of the ankles and legs.

Kidney cancer, as it is in the case of many other types of cancer, sometimes does not show any symptoms for a long time. Occurrence of the so-called triad of symptoms, which consists of palpable tumor in the area of kidney, pain in its area and hematuria, is rare - only in 10% of cases. Their appearance usually also indicates an advanced stage of the disease. Therefore, we should visit a doctor even if only one of them occur. The research shows that in about 60% of cases, hematuria was the basis for extended diagnostics, which allowed for the detection of the neoplasm. In turn, the occurrence of pain helped in the earlier detection of cancer in about 45% of cases.

Frequently Asked Questions:

A lump on a kidney – is it cancer?

Specialists from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center conducted a study on a group of 2,675 patients, which showed that 311 cases (12%) were benign, and 2,364 (88%) were neoplastic changes. However, the odds' ratio for the connection between malignancy and tumor size was 1.16, which means that each 1 cm of tumor growth was associated with a 16% increase in the probability of cancer occurrence.

How fast does a kidney tumor grow?

A study carried out by researchers from Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, on a group of 46 patients, showed that the kidney tumor can grow at a rate of 2.13 cm a year.

Does kidney cancer always metastasize?

Like any cancer, kidney cancer can spread to other organs. This is not always the case – a lot depends on the stage of development. Metastatic kidney cancer can affect the lungs, liver, bones, skin, brain, adrenal glands.

A lump on the kidney – which doctor should you go to?

When we notice any of the above-mentioned symptoms, we should immediately see a urologist – a doctor that specialize in kidney diseases, which also includes cancer diagnosis and management of patients with tumors in the urinary tract.

Prevention of kidney cancer

In order to minimize the risk of developing kidney cancer, lead a healthy lifestyle – avoid smoking, keep a balanced diet and keep your weight at the optimum level. In addition, you should be alert to the appearance of the symptoms that most often accompany kidney cancer. When they occur, immediately see a doctor – they cannot be underestimated.