The renal tumors are the abnormal growth that develops on or in the kidney. These tumors can either be cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign). As the kidneys consist of different types of cells, the type of cancer is determined on where cancer begins. The most common form of kidney cancer is renal cancer which develops in the cells lining the tubules. Cancer can also spread to other parts of the body through the tissue, the lymph system and the blood. The various types of benign tumors include the renal medullary fibroma, renal oncocytoma and cystic nephroma. The treatment accordingly is based on the type of kidney cancer. The kidney cancer typically develops among individuals in the age of 60s and 70s and rarely in people under the 50s. Kidney cancer can often be cured if diagnosed early although the cure is not possible if cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Renal cell cancer
This is the type of cancer that develops in the tubules of the kidney. Although this does not present any symptoms in the initial stage, the symptoms can develop as the tumor grows in size. This can include loss of appetite, anemia, pain in the side, the presence of a lump in the abdomen and blood in the urine. There are four stages of renal cell cancer that are based on whether cancer has spread within the kidney or to other parts of the body. Staging cancer can help determine the treatment options. The various types of treatment used for the renal cell cancer include the surgery to remove part or all the kidney, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Various tests may be repeated to determine the effectiveness of the treatment. Additional follow-up tests may be necessary after treatment as the renal cell cancer can recur several years after the initial treatment.
Transitional cell cancer of the kidney or ureter
This is a rare type of kidney cancer that begins in the transitional cells that make the lining of the renal pelvis, bladder, ureters and urethra. It is estimated that only around 7% of the kidney cancer patients in the United Kingdom are diagnosed with the transitional cell cancers. The symptoms of this cancer are similar to the other types of kidney cancer and include frequent need to urinate, pain with passing urine, pain in the back and the presence of blood in the urine. The treatment options are based on the stage of cancer, how fast it is growing, the age and the health of the affected individual. Surgery is one of the common treatments which can possibly cure cancer. In some of the cases, the chemotherapy may be required after the surgery and the advanced stages may require the combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
References
https://www.cancer.gov/types/kidney/patient/kidney-treatment-pdq#section/_50
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cancer-of-the-kidney/Pages/Introduction.aspx
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/kidney-cancer/stages-types-grades/types-grades
