Renal cancer
Whast is Renal Cancer?
Kidney cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the kidneys. This involves the uncontrolled spread of cancer cells in the kidney tubes.
There are different types of kidney cancer:
- Renal cell carcinoma
- Transitional cell carcinoma
- Sarcoma
- Wilms tumor
- Lymphoma
It should be noted that this type of cancer is a disorder that affects, above all, adults over 50 years of age and, generally, men.
How is it diagnosed?
Kidney cancer can be found by signs or symptoms that the patient has, as well as by lab tests or imaging tests that the patient has for another reason. However, the definitive diagnosis of kidney cancer is made by examining a sample of kidney cells in the laboratory or sometimes by how the kidney looks on an imaging test.
The main symptoms of kidney cancer include:
- Blood in the urine
- Pain or pressure in the side or back
- A mass or lump in the side or back
- Fatigue
- loss of appetiteL
- Weightloss
- Anemia
- High blood pressure
- Swelling in the ankles and legs
- Relapsing fever
How is it treated?
Kidney cancer is often treated with surgery, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or a combination of these treatments. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy are used occasionally.
It should be noted that the type of treatment that is decided to apply will depend on several factors, among them, the type of cells and the stage of the cancer, the possible side effects, as well as the preferences of the patient and his general state of health.