Renal cell carcinoma is a common type of kidney cancer that develops in the tubules of the kidney that filter and removes waste substances from the blood. The urine accumulates in the bladder and exits the body via the urethra. This type of cancer usually does not present any symptoms in the initial stage and in most cases is only detected when cancer has progressed to an advanced phase. The renal cell carcinoma consists of four stages and various diagnostic tests are performed to determine the stage of cancer. During the stage 1 and 2 the tumour is still contained in the kidney although it continues to grow, stage 3 is determined by the cancer that affect the lymph nodes and stage 4 refers to cancer that has spread beyond the kidney affecting other organs of the body. Cancer can invade other parts of the body by spreading to the surrounding tissue, travelling through the lymph system or via the blood vessels.
Causes
Although the exact cause of renal cell carcinoma is not known, it seems to affect the male population more than the females as they age. Some of the risk factors that predisposes the individual to develop the renal carcinoma include smoking, high blood pressure, family history of renal cancer, long-term use of certain medications such as diuretics, polycystic kidney disease and the presence of certain genetic disorders such as von hippel-lindau disease.
Symptoms
Most cases of renal cell carcinoma do not present any apparent symptoms in the early stages and may only develop when cancer grows. Several of these cases are actually diagnosed when cancer has already advanced in stage. However, some of the symptoms associated with this cancer includes the presence of blood in the urine, pain in the mid-back or the sides which usually does not subside, unexplained weight loss, the presence of a mass in the abdomen, hair loss in women, pale skin, loss of appetite, vision loss and anemia.
Diagnosis
The physician may conduct a physical examination to identify the presence of unusual lumps or other indicative sign, assess the medical history of the individual, their lifestyle habits and previous illness. Some of the diagnostic tests to determine the presence of renal carcinoma can consist of abdominal scan, liver function test, complete blood count, blood chemistry, urine tests, ultrasound of the abdomen and the kidneys. A biopsy may also be required to remove a sample of the affected tissue which is examined under the microscope to verify any sign of cancer. Additional tests may be required to assess if cancer has spread to other parts of the body and can include abdominal MRI, bone scan, PET scan, chest CT scan and chest x-ray.
Treatment
The treatment for renal carcinoma is based on the health and age of the individual, the location and the size of the tumour. The treatment can consist of surgery which removes the affected kidney, radiation therapy that focuses high-energy x-rays to destroy the cancerous cells, immunotherapy treatment uses the individual’s immune system to fight-off cancer and chemotherapy administers medications to treat cancer.
References
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000516.htm
https://www.cancer.gov/types/kidney/patient/kidney-treatment-pdq#section/_50
https://www.cancer.gov/types/kidney/patient/kidney-treatment-pdq#section/_1
