What is it
The most common form of kidney cancer in adults is renal cell carcinoma (adenocarcinoma). It consists in the development of an uncontrolled proliferation of cells lining the inside of the renal tubules.
It accounts for 90 percent of kidney cancers. It usually affects only one kidney, but in 2 percent of cases it can also be bilateral, that is, it occurs in both.
Of all cancers, kidney cancers account for about 2-3 percent. It is prevalent in men, meaning that it has twice the frequency of women (16 cases per 100,000 for men and about 7 cases per 100,000 for women).
The maximum peak of onset is around 60 years.
Risk factors
In addition to belonging to the male sex, the main risk factor is cigarette smoking. A correlation has been shown between the number of cigarettes smoked each day, the number of years of exposure and the occurrence of kidney cancer.
Chronic exposure to certain metals and substances such as cadmium, asbestos, phenacetin and torotism can also increase the risk, as well as, among health conditions, there are obesity, high blood pressure and having to undergo dialysis for long periods.
Common symptoms
Unfortunately, in the early stages, kidney cancer can not give symptoms and do not cause disorders.
When they appear they are usually: the presence of a palpable mass in the abdomen, blood in the urine (hematuria) and a sensation of pain in the lumbar level. They usually arise at an already advanced stage of pathology.
Other symptoms are weight loss, fatigue, fever, anemia, hypertension and hypercalcemia.
Prevention
The only way to try to prevent kidney cancer is to avoid modifiable risk factors, such as smoking.
Diagnosis
Abdominal ultrasound, a useful examination in these cases, serves to distinguish a mass of a solid nature from a cyst, because the latter is usually full of fluid.
Computed axial tomography is able to give, in addition to information about the nature of the mass, a measure of the extent of the tumor.
Other useful diagnostic tests are magnetic resonance imaging and urography.
Therapies
The removal of the kidney affected by cancer (radical surgery) is the most frequently used solution when the neoplasm is limited to the organ and is not bilateral.
In the latter case, the surgeon tries to remove only the tumor from each of the two kidneys.
In recent years, new molecules, so-called molecularly targeted, have been developed and are obtaining encouraging results.
Unlike classic chemotherapy drugs, the latter act selectively on some biological processes of the cancer cell.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
The blog covers a wide range of topics related to health and wellness, with articles organized into several categories.