Kidney Cancer
The organs' main job is to filter waste from your blood and make pee. But they also help control your blood pressure and make sure you have enough red blood cells. Kidney cancer, also called renal carcinoma, happens when cells in one or both of them start to grow out of control and form a tumor that crowds out healthy cells. This kind of cancer is one of the 10 most common in both men and women.
Most people diagnosed with kidney cancer are between the ages of 50 and 70.
Men are 2 to 3 times more likely to get it than women, and African-American people have a higher chance of getting it than other groups. High blood pressure, kidney disease and certain problems with your genes like, von Hippel-Lindau disease can also raise your chances. It can run in families too.
Men are 2 to 3 times more likely to get it than women, and African-American people have a higher chance of getting it than other groups. High blood pressure, kidney disease and certain problems with your genes like, von Hippel-Lindau disease can also raise your chances. It can run in families too.
While there are many types of kidney cancer, 9 out of 10 who have it have RCC. It's usually one tumor inside one kidney, but there can be more than one, and they can happen in both kidneys.
You're more likely to get it if :
* You smoke: This doubles your risk. It is believed to cause 30% of kidney cancers in men and 25% in women.
* You have extra weight: People who are overweight or obese are nearly twice as likely to get RCC.
* You have exposure to certain substances at the workplace such as cadmium and trichloroethylene.
* You smoke: This doubles your risk. It is believed to cause 30% of kidney cancers in men and 25% in women.
* You have extra weight: People who are overweight or obese are nearly twice as likely to get RCC.
* You have exposure to certain substances at the workplace such as cadmium and trichloroethylene.
If you have a small tumor, you might not notice any signs, but larger ones can cause these problems:
* Blood in your pee
* A lump on your side or lower back
* Low back pain
* Feeling tired
* Weight loss for no reason
* Fever
* Blood in your pee
* A lump on your side or lower back
* Low back pain
* Feeling tired
* Weight loss for no reason
* Fever
Your doctor will give you an exam. If they think you might have kidney cancer, they'll probably start with urinalysis, which tests your pee for blood or cancer cells.They also might do a blood test to see how well your kidneys are working and a complete blood count to make sure you have a healthy number of white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. People with kidney cancer have anemia --when you don't have enough red blood cells.
Your doctor may do scans to get a closer look at your kidneys:
* Ultrasound: Sound waves make black and white images on a computer screen.
* Magnetic imaging resonance (MRI) scan: Magnets and radio waves make detailed images.
* Position emission tomography (PET) scan: Radiation makes 3-D color images
* Ultrasound: Sound waves make black and white images on a computer screen.
* Magnetic imaging resonance (MRI) scan: Magnets and radio waves make detailed images.
* Position emission tomography (PET) scan: Radiation makes 3-D color images
If it turns out that you do have cancer, your doctor will want to try to predict how fast it may grow. They'll do this based on how much the cancer cells look like healthy ones. Kidney cancer can be grade 1,2,3, and 4 ---grade 4 cells look very different from normal ones and then to grow fastest.
Your doctor will make treatment recommendations based on the type of kidney cancer you have, the grade and stage of the cancer, your age, and any other health problems you might have.
Credit: WebMD
Credit: WebMD