The two bean-shaped organs located behind the abdominal organs might get affected by cancerous cells. It is considered to be one of the common types of cancer that occur for both men and women. In adults, kidney cancer is termed to be renal carcinoma.
Signs
Kidney cancers patients report no complaints in the initial stages. As tumor advances some of the following signs and symptoms maybe noted as:
- Blood in the urine
- Pain on the back
- Lump on the back
- Fever
- Sudden weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Tiredness
Causes
The cause of kidney cancer is not clearly defined, but the following risk factors can contribute to occurrence of kidney cancer.
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Older age
- Certain medications
- Certain chemicals
- Genetics
- High blood pressure
- Advanced kidney disease
- Certain inherited syndrome
- Treatment for kidney failure
Medical care
A proper diagnosis is confirmed by the doctor after completing a physical examination,blood test, urinalysis, and MRI. The treatment would depend on the cancer stage, size of the tumor, and overall health. Normally, the doctor would either suggest kidney cancer surgery or immunotherapy.
Kidney cancer surgery – it is considered to be the mainstay of treatment for kidney cancer. The surgical procedure would include nephrectomy or partial nephrectomy. In total nephrectomy, by either open or laparoscopic method, the entire kidney with surrounding fat and lymph nodes is removed, while in partial nephrectomy only the affected part of kidney is removed subject to tumor being small in size.