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Renal cell carcinoma Causes and Risks:
Renal cell carcinoma is a form of kidney cancer caused when cells in the lining of the renal tubule undergo cancerous changes. It is the most common type of kidney cancer, affecting about 3 out of 10,000 people. There are about 18,000 new cases in the U.S. per year, with about 8,000 deaths per year in the U.S. from the disorder. It is more common in men than women, usually men over 55 years old.
Why the cells become cancerous is not known. A history of smoking greatly increases the risk for developing renal cell carcinoma. There may be a hereditary component involved in the tendency to develop renal cell carcinoma. A history of kidney cancer (in the patient or family) increases the risk. People with von Hippel-Lindau disease, a hereditary disorder that affects the capillaries of the brain, commonly also develop renal cell carcinoma. Kidney disorders that require dialysis for treatment also increase the risk for developing renal cell carcinoma.
The disorder is diagnosed in most cases on investigation for causes of blood in the urine . It is not uncommon for both kidneys to be involved. The cancer metastasizes (spreads) easily, most often to the lungs and other organs, with about one-third of cases showing metastasis at the time of diagnosis.
Prevention:
Minimize or stop smoking . Follow your health care provider's recommendations in the treatment of kidney disorders, especially those that may require dialysis .
Symptoms:
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:
Signs and Tests:
Palpation of the abdomen may show a mass or organ enlargement, particularly of the kidney or liver. There may be a testicular varicocele .
Because metastasis is common, the following tests to look for metastasis may be performed:
Treatment:
Surgical removal of all or part of the kidney ( nephrectomy ) is recommended. This may include removal of the bladder or surrounding tissues or lymph nodes.
Radiation therapy may be used to reduce the cancer 's spread ( metastasis ), but a renal cell carcinoma is often resistant to radiation. It may be attempted before surgery to reduce the size of the tumor . Hormonal therapy may reduce the growth of the tumor in some cases.
Medications such as alpha-interferon and interleukin have been successful in reducing the growth of some renal cell carcinomas , including some with metastasis. Chemotherapy may be used in some cases, and it's results vary.
The stress of illness can often be helped by joining a support group where members share common experiences and problems. See cancer - support group and kidney disease - support group .
Prognosis:
The outcome varies depending on the amount of metastasis . The 5-year survival, rate is around 60 to 75% if the tumor is in the early stages. If it has spread to the lymph nodes, 5-year survival is around 5 to 15%. If it has spread to other organs The probable outcome is poor, with 5-year survival at less than 5%.
Complications:
Call Your Healthcare Provider:
Call your health care provider any time blood in the urine develops. Also call if any other symptoms of this disorder occur.
The kidneys are responsible for removing wastes from the body, regulating electrolyte balance and blood pressure, and the stimulation of red blood cell production. The gross anatomical structure of the kidney is illustrated.
This CT scan of the abdomen shows a tumor in the left kidney (hypernephroma), located on the lower right side of the picture.
A CT scan of the middle abdomen showing metastasis (cancer that has spread) in the left kidney in a patient with carcinoma of the lung. Note the large dark circular tumor in the kidney on the right side of the picture.
This is the typical appearance of the blood vessels (vasculature) and urine flow pattern in the kidney. The blood vessels are shown in red and the urine flow pattern in yellow.
In this photograph, the kidney has been split through the middle. The tumor (a renal cell carcinoma) is seen as two round, irregular masses in the upper part of the picture. Very little normal kidney remains, but can be seen in the lower half of the photograph just above the white marker. Because of their size, renal cell carcinomas can often be felt as a mass in the abdomen.
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