Kidney cancer symptoms

Kidney cancer symptoms

Kidney cancer symptoms: The five largely ignored cancers in men are prostate, bladder, kidney, testicular and penile cancers. Therefore, to find and treat them on time, it is important to know the causes and symptoms of each of them. Although prostate cancer is the most talked about, it is equally important to know the rest of the cancer.

Kidney or renal cancer cases are increasing among young people in India. Hence those things about kidney cancer, which are important to know.

1. What is kidney or renal cancer?

Kidney cancer is a condition in which kidney cells get damaged and form tumors. It is formed in the walls of small tubes present in the kidney.

Earlier this disease usually used to hunt only the elderly people for decades, but now in India, it is also hunting young people. About one-third of kidney cancer patients are under 50 years and 12 percent of patients are under 40 years of age.

Research shows that malnutrition is the cause of increasing cancer disease in Indians. Another factor about this cancer is lack of awareness, due to which people do not go to seek medical advice or to have regular checkups.

2. What are the risk factors for kidney cancer?

Common risk factors for kidney cancer include smoking, hypertension, obesity, gender, genetic factor, and diet. Smokers have twice the risk of non-smokers.

Men are twice as likely to get renal cancer than women. Family history of the disease also doubles the risk, especially among siblings. Kidney disease also increases the risk of advanced condition or prolonged dialysis.

Kidney cancer is driven by immunity, which plays an important role in preventing cancer. The nutritional status of the young generation in developing countries is poor compared to their counterparts in western countries and the nutritional status of the aged people in developed countries.

3. Kidney Cancer Symptoms.

Early symptoms of kidney cancer include:

• Blood in the urine.
• Constant irritating pain or a feeling of heaviness on the sides towards the back.
• Unknown to fever.
• Loss of appetite.
• Anemia.
• Lose weight without reason.
• Swelling of feet or calf.

4. How to protect yourself

• Eat healthy and balanced food.
• Keep the blood pressure level under control.
• Exercise regularly.
• Quit smoking and drinking alcohol.
• avoid stress.

5. Diagnosis

The initial examination is done by abdominal ultrasonography. This is followed by a CT scan with higher contrast. If the kidney is not functioning properly then, in that case, MRI can also be considered. The stage of the disease can be detected with CECT scans, chest x-rays, and CT scans.

The PET scan has a limited role in detecting the disease and its stage, but it has a special role in metastatic cancer when we assess the effect of target therapy and immunotherapy.

Kidney cancer is easily caught by CT or MRI scan. A very little biopsy is required before surgery.

6. Role of Cure and Robot-Assisted Surgery.

Treatment is the ideal option to remove a kidney with cancerous tumors. The only kidney left is enough for a normal life.

If the tumor is small, then the remaining part of the kidney can be saved by removing it. This procedure is called partial nephrectomy, which can be done through robotic-assisted surgery, laparoscopy or open surgery.

Robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy is the best treatment, as it not only has very little incision like laparoscopic surgery but is also more accurate. The patient gets well soon. Contrary to popular belief about robotic-assisted surgery, a urologist performs surgery with the help of a robotic arm. In severe cases, cancer can spread to the glands, lungs, liver, and bones. This is called metastatic kidney cancer.

Since chemotherapy and radiation therapy do not work in this type of cancer, it is necessary to remove the tumor after surgery. Metastatic renal cancer can be cured with new techniques such as target therapy and immunotherapy.