Kidney cancer

Kidney cancer -- also called renal cancer -- is a disease in which kidney cells become
malignant (cancerous) and grow out of control, forming a tumor. Almost all kidney
cancers first appear in the lining of tiny tubes (tubules) in the kidney. This type of kidney
cancer is called renal cell carcinoma. The good news is that most of kidney cancers are
found before they spread (metastasize) to distant organs. And cancers caught early are
easier to treat successfully. However, these tumors can grow to be quite large before
they are detected.
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They lie in your
lower abdomen on each side of your spine. Their main job is to clean your blood,
removing waste products and making urine.
Doctors don't know the causes of kidney cancer. But certain factors appear to increase
the risk of getting kidney cancer. For example, kidney cancer occurs most often in
people older than age 40. These are some other risk factors for kidney cancer:

Smoking . If you smoke cigarettes, your risk for kidney cancer is twice that of
nonsmokers. Smoking cigars may also increase your risk.
Being male. Men are about twice as likely as women to get kidney cancer.
Being obese. Extra weight may cause changes to hormones that increase your
risk.

Using certain pain medications for a long time. This includes over-the-counter

drugs in addition to prescription drugs.

Having advanced kidney disease or being on long-term dialysis, a treatment

for people with kidneys that have stopped working

Having certain genetic conditions, such as von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease

or inherited papillary renal cell carcinoma

Having a family history of kidney cancer. The risk is especially high in siblings.
Being exposed to certain chemicals, such as asbestos, cadmium, benzene,

organic solvents, or certain herbicides

Having high blood pressure. Doctors don't know whether high blood

pressure or medication used to treat it is the source of the increased risk.

Being black. The risk in blacks is slightly higher than in whites. No one knows
why.

Having lymphoma. For an unknown reason, there is an increased risk of kidney

cancer in patients with lymphoma.

Having these risk factors does not mean you will get kidney cancer. And it's also true
that you can have none of them and still get the disease.
Explanation of kidney cancer and drawing

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a kidney cancer that originates in the lining of the proximal
convoluted tubule, a part of the very small tubes in the kidney that transport waste molecules from
the blood to the urine. RCC is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults, responsible for
approximately 9095% of cases.[1]
Initial treatment is most commonly either partial or complete removal of the affected kidney(s).
[2]

Where the cancer has not metastasised (spread to other organs) or burrowed deeper into the

tissues of the kidney, the 5-year survival rate is 6590%, [3] but this is lowered considerably when the
cancer has spread.
The body is remarkably good at hiding the symptoms and as a result people with RCC often have
advanced disease by the time it is discovered.[4] The initial symptoms of RCC often include: blood in
the urine (occurring in 40% of affected persons at the time they first seek medical attention), flank
pain (40%), a mass in the abdomen or flank (25%), weight loss (33%), fever (20%), high blood
pressure (20%), night sweats and generally feeling unwell.[1] When RCC metastasises, it most
commonly spreads to the lymph nodes, lungs, liver, adrenal glands,brain or bones.
[5]

Immunotherapy and targeted therapy have improved the outlook for metastatic RCC.[6]

RCC is also associated with a number of paraneoplastic syndromes (PNS) which are conditions
caused by either the hormones produced by the tumour or by the body's attack on the tumour and
are present in about 20% of those with RCC.[1] These syndromes most commonly affect tissues
which have not been invaded by the cancer.[1] The most common PNSs seen in people with RCC
are: high blood calcium levels, polycythaemia (the opposite of anaemia, due to an overproduction of
erythropoietin), thrombocytosis (too many platelets in the blood, leading to an increased tendency for
blood clotting and bleeds) and secondary amyloidosis.[5]