Kidney Cancer
Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Bautista
Our Editorial Policy
Updated on: November 16, 2019
About Kidney Cancer
A bout with cancer is like a run through the gauntlet. So, while a diagnosis can feel daunting, the best thing you can do is to read up, get informed, and know your kidney cancer treatment options. Understanding the breadth of cancer treatment available beyond clinical radiation therapy and chemotherapy can be life-changing. Explore alternative remedies, talk to your doctor, and find the right treatment option for you.
Where is Kidney Cancer Located?
Kidney cancer is located in its namesake: below the intestines and before the bladder. Since this is a carcinoma cancer, the kidney disease typically originates through a buildup of cancer cells in the organ wall kidney tissue. A clustering of abnormal cells form tumors, either benign or malignant, the latter being cancerous.
Kidney cancer tends to skew male in cancer patients. Research run by the CDC shows that in 2016 diagnoses rates in men sat at 22.8 in every 100,000, while women were near half this, at 11.6 in every 100,000.
Are There Different Types of Kidney Cancer?
Types of kidney cancer correlate to the severity of the cancer’s spread, making it important to engage in active surveillance of the kidney disease. The most common kidney cancer type found among adults is Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC), also known as hypernephroma, renal adenocarcinoma, or renal cell cancer. The different cancer types are broken down as follows:
- Carcinoma In Situ – Abnormal tissue, while present, is yet to spread in the affected kidney.
- Invasive Carcinoma – Cancer spreads to the surrounding tissue.
- Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma – Cancer spreads beyond the original kidney tissue to infect other organs.
Causes and Risk Factors
There are several risk factors that can greatly increase the inhibitors of kidney cancer. These include:
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Tuberous sclerosis
- Smoking
- Von Hippel Lindau Syndrome
While it is not hereditary, the risk of kidney cancer increases when there is a family lineage of the disease.
Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Staging
Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Cancer
Early symptoms can often be mistaken for urinary issues. If you experience any of the following it’s important to seek immediate advice from your doctor.
- Pain and lumps in your abdomen
- Anemia and excessive fatigue
- Blood in the urine
- The unexpected loss of weight and appetite
Test for Kidney Cancer
There are several effective tests to recognize the early stages of renal cell carcinoma in the body. Typically, a medical oncologist will first issue a blood and urine test that measures the amounts of electrolytes in the body. Following these, doctors will recommend a CT scan, MRI scan, or use an ultrasound to check for a kidney tumor or other abnormal cell clusters. In some cases, a renal mass biopsy will be necessary to analyze cell buildup and run further tests.
The Different Stages of Kidney Cancer
The American Joint Committee on Cancer measures the stages of kidney cancer through the TNM system, which uses the following breakdown:
- T – Tumor: Both the size and spread
- N – When the kidney tumor has spread to infect local lymph nodes
- M – When cancer is metastatic and has spread to other organs
At the early stage, a smaller tumor can be removed through partial nephrectomy. If it enter stages two or three it is likely that the kidney cancer patient should undergo a radical nephrectomy to remove the entire kidney.
Alternative Kidney Cancer Treatment
Traditional treatments include surgery to remove cancer cell and tissue or decrease fluid buildup, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. While the traditional treatment of kidney cancer may be effective, many of the drugs used can come with potential side effects that leave you weak and make your quality of life rather painful.
There are various kidney cancer alternative treatment plans offering natural remedies in place of traditional drugs that can potentially reduce the severity of side effects.
If you have been diagnosed with kidney cancer, the Immunity Therapy Center offers a full range of alternative treatments to help you manage it. Our cancer center is committed to providing completely tailored targeted therapy and treatment plans that are structured around the specific conditions and health needs of all our kidney cancer patients.
We offer one-on-one consultations with Dr. Bautista, which ensures that we get to know you personally and build an actual relationship to provide you with the best targeted therapy and alternative treatment plan for Kidney cancer. For more information or to receive a free consultation, please contact us today or visit our cancer center.
Sources
Urology Care Foundation, What is Kidney Cancer? https://www.urologyhealth.org/urologic-conditions/kidney-cancer
Cleveland Clinic, How is Kidney Cancer Diagnosed? https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9409-kidney-cancer-overview/diagnosis-and-tests
CDC, Rates of New Cancers, https://gis.cdc.gov/Cancer/USCS/DataViz.html
Cancer.org, What is Kidney Cancer?
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/kidney-cancer/about/what-is-kidney-cancer.html
At Immunity Therapy Center, our goal is to provide objective, updated, and research-based information on all health-related topics. This article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles. All information has been fact-checked and reviewed by Dr. Carlos Bautista, a Board Certified Medical Doctor at Immunity Therapy Center. All information published on the site must undergo an extensive review process to ensure accuracy. This article contains trusted sources with all references hyperlinked for the reader's visibility.
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