Kidney Cancer
Kidney cancer begins in the kidneys, two bean-shaped organs located in the lower abdomen. The kidneys filter your blood and help your body eliminate waste in the form of urine.
About Kidney Cancer
The most common kidney cancer, renal cell carcinoma, develops in the cells lining the small tubes that filter blood and produce urine. Nine out of 10 people diagnosed with kidney cancer have this form of the disease.
The second most common type of kidney cancer develops in transitional cells in the lining of the urinary tract. It can appear in the kidneys, connecting tubes and bladder.
Cancerous tumors in the kidneys may grow and invade nearby organs, such as the liver, colon or pancreas. Kidney cancer may also spread to other parts of the body and form new tumors, most often in the bones or the lungs.
Who’s at Risk?
Each year, approximately 49,000 people are diagnosed with kidney cancer. The disease can occur in people of all ages, but it is most common in people over the age of 40. The risk is also higher for men.
Risk Factors
The following risk factors may increase the chance of developing kidney cancer:
- Smoking: Cigarette smoking doubles the risk.
- Obesity: Overweight with a high level of unhealthy body fat.
- Long-term dialysis: Treatment for dysfunctional kidneys.
- Family history: A brother or sister with the disease. Inherited conditions, such as Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome, a rare disease caused by changes to a gene.
- Workplace conditions: Frequent exposure to certain chemicals, herbicides and other substances like asbestos.
- High blood pressure
Treatment
Treatment options depend on the stage of the cancer. Your surgical oncologists may perform surgery to remove the kidney, the adrenal gland, the tissue around the kidney, and some lymph nodes. This procedure is called a nephrectomy.
Treatment options also include radiofrequency ablation, in which your surgical oncologist inserts a small probe through the abdomen. The probe gives off tiny electrodes to kill the cancer cells with heat.
Another common treatment method is external beam radiation therapy, which kills cancerous cells with high-energy rays produced and aimed by a machine outside the body. Treatment plans may also include immunotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and hormonal therapy.
Some information on this page is provided by the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society.