including blood in the urine, a change in appetite, weight loss without dieting, and unusual blood counts. Many patients with this disease don’t experience any symptoms at all. In many cases, symptoms are discovered during unrelated tests or regular doctor visits. Whether these symptoms indicate the presence of kidney cancer is up to the individual’s healthcare provider. Listed below are some of the most common signs and symptoms of this disease.
The kidneys are bean-shaped organs located in the back of the body, below the ribcage on each side. Kidney cancer usually only affects one kidney. Our bodies contain billions of cells that normally grow in a regular manner. However, when this orderly growth goes awry, cancer occurs. Kidney cancer is most common in older adults and in men than in women. If you notice any of these symptoms, make an appointment with your physician right away.
Treatment for kidney cancer depends on the stage of the disease. Stage I is the most common. Stage IV is the most serious type. It spreads to major veins, nearby organs, and even the brain. Once the cancer has spread to the kidney, it can also invade nearby lymph nodes and blood vessels. As a result, cancer treatments may involve surgery or other forms of treatment. While surgery is the most common form of treatment for kidney cancer, the treatment depends on the extent of the disease.
Surgery can be done to remove the entire kidney or just a portion of it. Partial nephrectomy, also known as nephron-sparing surgery, removes the affected kidney and leaves a healthy one behind. The surgery may be done through an incision in the abdomen. Patients who have tumors on both kidneys can undergo partial nephrectomy. The doctors will remove the kidney as much as possible, without causing too much pain.
The early stages of kidney cancer are often undiagnosed, so it is important to schedule an appointment with a doctor. Often, cancerous cells begin to grow without warning. If they are discovered at stage I, the cancer has spread only to a kidney, and there are no symptoms. Stage II cancer is more advanced and has spread to other parts of the body. If the disease is detected in early stages, patients may not require surgery or undergo chemotherapy.
Targeted therapy drugs are another treatment option for advanced-stage kidney cancer. These drugs block malignant cells and interfere with their growth pathways. They may also prevent the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor with nutrients. These drugs are much less toxic than chemotherapy and patients generally tolerate them well. Nonetheless, clinical trials are ongoing to determine which drugs work best for which types of kidney cancer. If these new treatments are successful, they will probably become a standard of care for many patients with kidney cancer.
In early-stage kidney cancer, surgery is the treatment of choice. Patients with early-stage cancer are typically the most suitable candidates for surgery, and in some cases, surgery is still beneficial even for patients with advanced cancer. Other treatments for kidney cancer may not be tolerated by the patient, including radiofrequency ablation and cryosurgery. This is the treatment of choice for the vast majority of patients with kidney cancer. These treatments are often not an option for elderly patients or those with multiple serious medical conditions.
