Kidney Cancer Treatment

Kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, refers to the cancer that originates in the kidneys. The term kidney cancer is usually not used to refer to the metastatic cancer of the kidneys, i.e. the cancer that spreads from other parts of the body to the kidneys. There are several types of kidney cancer, out of which the most common type is renal cell carcinoma. Renal cell carcinoma accounts for almost 85% of the total cases of kidney cancer.

Other less common types of kidney cancer includes, transitional cell carcinoma and Wilm's tumor. Out of which, the most common type is Wilm's tumor that affects the young children. Apart from these three types, there are many other types of kidney cancer, but they are quite rare. The treatment of this cancer depends to a great extent on the specific types, along with the stage in which the disease is detected.

Causes and Symptoms of Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer is more prevalent in men, as compared to women. Therefore, gender is considered as a risk factor for developing this cancer. But, what exactly causes kidney cancer is still not known. However, researches conducted in this regard have been able to find out certain risk factors that can increase the likelihood of developing this cancer. Some of the most important risk factors for this condition are, smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, long-term dialysis treatment for kidney failure, diseases like, 'Von Hippel-Lindau disease' and 'hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma' and occupational exposure to certain chemicals like, asbestos and cadmium.

The signs and symptoms of kidney cancer usually become evident only in the later stage of the disease. In the early stage, this cancer is usually asymptomatic. The most common symptoms that can be observed in the later stage of the disease are:

• Blood in urine or hematuria
• A palpable mass or lump in the side of the abdomen
• Excessive fatigue
• Weight loss
• Back pain, usually below the ribs
• Fever

Treatment of Kidney Cancer

Diagnosis, as well as staging of kidney cancer can involve several tests and examinations. This cancer is usually detected with the help of blood and urine test, CT scan, MRI and biopsy. Once cancer is detected, physicians try to determine the stage, i.e. the extent to which the cancer has spread. This may require additional MRI and CT scan at times. There are basically four stages of kidney cancer, stage I, stage II, stage III and stage IV, and cancer treatment basically depends on the stage in which it is detected.

Several new treatment options have been developed in the recent years for effectively eliminating cancerous cells from the kidney. Today, this type of cancer is more commonly treated with surgery, cryoablation, radiofrequency ablation, embolization, chemotherapy, biological therapy and target therapy. Surgery is typically the initial treatment, and it can involve removal of the affected kidney along with the adjacent healthy tissues and the lymph nodes (nephrectomy), or removal of the tumor along with a small amount of healthy tissues surrounding the tumor (partial nephrectomy). If surgery is not possible, then it can be treated with cryoablation, embolization and radiofrequency ablation.

In cryoablation, the cancerous cells are frozen with extreme cold. Usually, a hollow needle is inserted through the skin and into the tumor, after which gas in the needle is used to freeze the cancerous cells. In radiofrequency ablation, the cancer cells are burned down with the help of electric current. For this purpose, a special needle is inserted through the skin and into the tumor, after which electric current is passed through the needle. Embolization on the other hand, blocks the supply of blood and oxygen to the tumor in order to shrink it. In this procedure, a special substance is injected into the main blood vessel that supplies blood to the kidney. This deprives the tumor of oxygen and nutrients that it needs to grow. This procedure is also known as arterial embolization, and it is sometimes carried out before surgery.

However, if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, then its treatment can require surgery, chemotherapy, target therapy and biological therapy. Surgery is carried out to remove as much of the tumor as possible. Chemotherapy uses different cancer medications to destroy the cancer cells, and it may precede surgery at times. Biological therapy on the other hand, uses specific drugs to stimulate the immune system to fight against the cancer. Target therapy is another treatment that employs drugs to block the abnormal signals, which play an important role in the growth and proliferation of the cancerous cells.

The preference for a particular treatment option depends on several factors including, the general health of the patient, the type of kidney cancer, size of the tumor and the extent to which the cancer has spread. So, a suitable treatment plan can be developed only after evaluating the condition thoroughly. You can talk to your physician to know more about kidney cancer, its prognosis and various treatment options.