Guide To The Major Types Of Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer is a form of cancer that affects the kidneys, the organs responsible for filtering the blood of excess fluids, electrolytes, and toxins to be excreted through urine. Malignancy in the body occurs when cellular damage results in a change or alteration in the part of the genetic code or DNA of the cell responsible for cell differentiation, multiplication, growth, and apoptosis. This genetic mutation or change causes the cells to grow beyond control, invade healthy tissues nearby, and use up nutrients healthy cells need. Kidney cancer can stay isolated within kidney tissues, or it may spread to other regions and organs in the body like the brain, liver, bones, and lungs. Blood tests, CT scans, MRIs, urine tests, and kidney tissue biopsy are used to diagnose kidney cancer. Treatment options depend on the type of kidney cancer a patient has.

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Renal Cell Carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma is the most prevalent form of kidney cancer among the population, with around ninety percent of all cases of kidney cancer diagnosed as renal cell carcinomas. Renal cell carcinoma grows in a single mass inside of a patient's kidney in most cases but can grow as two or more separate kidney tumors as well. While renal cell carcinomas are typically found when they have already grown to a large size, the majority of cases are diagnosed before the kidney cancer has metastasized to other organs or regions of the patient's body. The survival rate of five years following a renal cell carcinoma diagnosis is around seventy percent in cases where cancer had not spread beyond the kidney. Symptoms that occur in renal cell carcinoma include hematuria, fatigue, excessive hair growth, persistent side pain, appetite loss, weight loss, vision issues, and a lump in the abdomen. Ultrasounds of the kidney, CT scans, blood testing, urine testing, and kidney tissue biopsy are used to help a physician diagnose renal cell carcinoma. First-line treatment for renal cell carcinoma is surgery, but treatment may also include chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation therapy, and biologic therapy.

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