- Overview
- Each person has 2 kidneys. The job of the kidney is to filter the blood and remove waste products, which are then excreted in the urine. Kidney cancer (renal cell cancer) is cancer of the cells of the kidney.
- Most kidney cancers are detected incidentally, meaning they are found by accident. The incidence of kidney cancer has increase as we continue to use advanced imaging for more and more reasons. About 75,000 cases are diagnosed annually. And about 15,000 people will die of kidney cancer annually.
- Risk factors for kidney cancer include cigarette smoking, obesity, and genetic conditions.
- Symptoms
- Most patients have no signs/symptoms of kidney cancer. These are typically found incidentally. However, a small percentage of patients with kidney cancer may have the following signs/symptoms:
- Abdominal lump, pain in the kidney area, early satiety, anemia, weight loss, blood in the urine (hematuria)
- Most patients have no signs/symptoms of kidney cancer. These are typically found incidentally. However, a small percentage of patients with kidney cancer may have the following signs/symptoms:
- Evaluation
- Testing includes lab work (urine test, blood work), CT scan or MRI, and chest X-ray. Occasionally, your doctor may recommend a biopsy.
- Treatment
- Proper treatment is based on the size and location of the tumor, patient age and comorbidities, as well as patient preference. Some options include:
- Active surveillance – tumors <3cm are often non-cancerous lesions and can therefore be safely observed with serial imaging to ensure no growth.
- Partial nephrectomy – some tumors depending on size and location, as well as patient characteristics, can be removed and leave the remainder of the kidney in tact.
- Radical nephrectomy – the tumor and the kidney are removed as one specimen. This is best for large tumors or tumors in high risk areas.
- Percutaneous therapy – small tumors in certain locations are amenable to freezing with small probes inserted through the skin.
- Systemic therapy – cancer that has spread to other parts of the body would be treated with systemic immunologic therapy by a medical oncologist.
- Proper treatment is based on the size and location of the tumor, patient age and comorbidities, as well as patient preference. Some options include:
The urologists at Magic Valley Urology provide expert diagnosis and treatment for kidney cancers.