Kidney Cancer
Kidney Cancer Causes
As blood circulates through your kidneys, the nephrons filter out waste products as well as unneeded minerals and water. This liquid waste urine flows through two narrow tubes (ureters) into your bladder, where it is stored until it's eliminated from your body through another tube, the urethra.
Kidney Cancer Definition
Kidney cancer is also known as renal cell carcinoma arising from the renal tubule. It is the most common kind of kidney cancer in adults. It is notoriously resistant to radiation therapy and chemotherapy, although some cases respond to immunotheraphy.
Kidney Cancer Diagnosis
Physical exam: Some doctor checks general signs of health and tests for fever and high blood pressure. Doctors also feel the abdomen and side for tumors. Urine tests: Urine is tested for blood and other signs of disease. Blood tests: Laboratories check the blood to see how well the kidneys are working. The lab can check the level of several substances, such as creatinine. High level of creatinine can mean the kidneys are not doing their job.
Kidney Cancer Symptoms and Signs
Common symptoms of kidney cancer include: Blood in the urine (making the urine slightly rusty to deep red), Pain in the side that does not go away. A lump or mass in the side or the abdomen, Weight loss, Fever, Feeling very tired or having a general feeling of poor health.
Kidney Cancer Treatment
At any stage of disease, people with kidney cancer may have treatment to control pain and other symptoms, to relieve the side effects of therapy, and to ease emotional and practical problems. This kind of therapy is called supportive care, symptom management, or palliative care.