Kidney Cancer

The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs located on either side of the spine at about the waistline. These organs filter the blood and get rid of excess water, salt and waste products. Each kidney has a tube that carries urine to the bladder, where it is stored temporarily. Kidneys may develop cysts that are hollow, noncancerous growths or tumors that are cancerous.

There are three main types of kidney cancer:

  • Renal cell, or cancer of the tube linings. This type accounts for about 80 percent of all kidney cancers.
  • Wilm's tumor. This occurs mainly in children under five years old.
  • Transitional cell cancer. This type develops in the linings of other digestive system areas.
Symptoms

Signs of kidney cancer include:

  • Blood in the urine, visible or microscopic
  • Pain in the side of the body, accompanied by fever
  • High blood pressure. Kidney cancer is often discovered during an examination related to this or other conditions.

Causes and Risk Factors
  • Most kidney cancers occur between the ages of 50 and 70
  • Men are 1.5 times as likely to get the disease as women
  • Smoking doubles the risk of developing the renal cell form of the disease
  • Exposure to asbestos, cadmium and certain chemicals
  • Family history of kidney cancer
  • Long-term kidney dialysis
  • Being overweight and eating a high-fat diet

Diagnosis

The following methods are used to diagnose kidney cancer:

Treatment

If the cancer has not spread to other parts of the body, removing it along with surrounding lymph nodes offers a good chance of cure. Most commonly, however, kidney cancer spreads early, especially to the lungs. When this happens, neither surgery, radiation nor chemotherapy can offer a cure.

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