Kidney Cancer

Overview

Renal cell cancer also known as renal cell carcinoma or kidney cancer is a disease in which malignant cells are found in the lining of tubules (very small tubes) in the kidney. In adults, hypernephroma or renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer. Other less common types of kidney cancer namely papillary transitional cell tumour, squamous cell carcinoma, transitional cell tumours and Balkan nephropathy can occur. In contrast, children are more likely to develop a kind of kidney cancer called Wilms' tumor.

Signs and Symptoms

Hematuria, Clot colic, Dragging discomfort in the loin, Palpable mass, Varicocele (in men on the left side but very rare), High blood pressure, Loss of appetite, Weight loss, Intermittent fever

Common Causes

Gene mutation in the renal cells

Risk Factors

Older age: as the age increases the risk increases, Smoking, Obesity, High blood pressure (hypertension), Chronic kidney disease, Certain inherited syndromes: von Hippel-Lindau disease, Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome, tuberous sclerosis complex, hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma or familial renal cancer. Family history of kidney cancer, Exposure to certain substances in the workplace: like cadmium or specific herbicides.

Investigation Techniques

Full blood count, Renal function test, Urinalysis, Tissue biopsy, Ultrasound, CT scan, MRI

Treatment and Prevention

Surgery: nephrectomy, partial nephrectomy, Non surgical treatment: cryoablation, radiofrequency ablation, Immunotherapy: interferon and aldesleukin (Proleukin), which are synthetic versions of chemicals made in the body, Targeted therapy: block specific abnormal signals present in kidney cancer cells that allow them to multiply. The targeted drugs cabozantinib (CaboMetyx), axitinib (Inlyta), bevacizumab (Avastin), pazopanib (Votrient), sorafenib (Nexavar) and sunitinib (Sutent),