Renal Cancer
Kidney cancer begins in the kidneys, and renal adenocarcinoma, or renal cell carcinoma, is by far the most common malignancy found in the kidney. Other types include clear cell, papillary, and chromophobe carcinoma. Some other cancers are found in less than 1% of the population and even more that are just benign tumors. Kidney cancer occurs more often in men than in women. Also, the disease occurs more often in people aged 65-70. It rarely occurs before the age of 40.
An unfortunate detail of the disease is the timely diagnosis of kidney cancer. Because in some cases, the condition remains without any visible symptoms and is detected only by chance when an abdominal CT or MRI scan is done for completely different reasons in Urology Consultation in Chennai.
Renal Cancer Symptoms
- Haematuria- blood in the urine
- Loin pain
- Noticeable mass in the lower back or sides
- Fever
- Night sweats
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss for no known reason
- Anemia
- High blood pressure
- Unexplained weight loss
- Feeling tired
Renal Cell Cancer Risk Factors
- If you are in the age group of 65-70. The risk increases with increasing age.
- If you have a family history of cancer of the kidneys.
- If you are exposed to certain heavy metals like cadmium or certain pesticides regularly for instance at your workplace.
- If you are a regular smoker.
- If you are an obese person.
- If you have high blood pressure and haven’t been getting treatment or taking medications regularly.
- If you are a patient who has been receiving long-term dialysis for kidney failure.
Kidney Cancer Preventions
- Prevention is better than cure and this old- age adage is applicable even today. You don’t have to be in the risk group to go for the preventive measures since they are common to most conditions
- Maintain a healthy weight at all times. Do not limit the physical activity especially if your work is more of a sedentary nature
- Avoid smoking regularly or better yet quit smoking as nicotine is harmful to most organs of your body
- Control your blood pressure, especially if you have a family history of hypertension. Go for regular check-ups with your physician
Kidney Cancer Treatment
As with most cancers, the most common options at the discretion of a nephrologist are surgical resection of the tumor, removal of part or all of the diseased kidney, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
