Most people diagnosed with kidney cancer are between 55 and 74, and twice as many men get kidney cancer as women. It is estimated that almost 82,000 new kidney cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2024 and over 14,000 people will die from the disease. It is more common among African Americans, American Indians, and Alaskan native people. Let’s take a look at how kidney cancer is diagnosed and treated.
How Kidney Cancer Develops
When abnormal cells develop on kidney tissue, they can mass into a tumor. Something happens to trigger those cells to grow and divide out of proportion. Once a tumor has become malignant or cancerous, it can affect nearby organs and tissue and spread throughout the body.
What Are the Signs of Kidney Cancer?
There are many signs that a person could have kidney cancer. Some of the more common symptoms include:
Blood in the urine- A lump in the area of the kidney
- Flank pain
- Loss of appetite
- High blood pressure
- Anemia
- High calcium
- Weight loss
- Low grade fever
- Fatigue
If you have any of the signs of kidney cancer, of course, they can be from other causes, so it’s important to seek proper diagnosis.
Knowing Your Risk Factors
It’s important to know if you have any risk factors. No one knows for sure what causes kidney cancer, but there are certain things which can increase your chances of developing kidney cancer.
They include the following:
- Obesity, and the more obese, the higher the risk
- Smoking is a serious risk factor
- High blood pressure
- Family history of kidney cancer
- Long-term dialysis treatment
- Gene mutations
- Tuberous sclerosis, which is a disease that causes seizure and intellectual disabilities
Some of these risk factors you may know, but others might be unknown to you.
How Kidney Cancer Is Diagnosed
If you are concerned you may have kidney cancer, schedule an appointment with Cleveland Urology Associates as soon as possible.
After a physical examination and questions about risk factors, you will have blood and urine tests to look for blood in the urine and other clues about your symptoms.
Imaging Tests for Kidney Cancer Diagnosis
Imaging tests provide our board-certified urologists with a detailed view of the kidneys, allowing them to detect any abnormalities or tumors. These diagnostic tools are crucial for accurately identifying and assessing potential issues within the kidneys. Common imaging tests include:
- X-rays: Useful for detecting structural changes in the kidneys.
- MRI: Provides high-resolution images to help visualize soft tissues and identify tumors.
- CT scan: Offers a comprehensive view of the kidneys, revealing any irregularities or masses that may require further evaluation.
Sometimes a biopsy will be ordered to definitively diagnose kidney cancer.
Common Treatments for Kidney Cancer
The recommended treatments depend on your overall health, your age, and the stage of the cancer.
Surgery
Most commonly, surgery is recommended as the initial treatment. The goal of surgical intervention is to remove the cancer, but keep the kidney functioning. The surgeon may remove part of the kidney where the tumor is located.
It is possible that the entire kidney may be removed. If this occurs, the other kidney can still function for both.
Non-Surgical Treatments
Ablation is one type of non-surgical treatment where a current is run into the tumor causing the cells or tumor to heat up or burn. This is known as radiofrequency ablation.
Sometimes cooling is used to freeze cancer cells. This is known as cryoablation as cool gas is used to freeze the cells.
Other treatments include:
- Radiation
- Chemotherapy
- Immunotherapy
- Targeted drug therapy
As with most cancers, kidney cancer is most treatable when diagnosed early.
Schedule a Kidney Cancer Consultation in Cleveland, OH
Contact our board-certified urologists at (440) 891-6500 for a diagnosis in Cleveland, OH if you have some of the symptoms of kidney cancer.
Sources: Tests for Kidney Cancer | Kidney Cancer Diagnosis | American Cancer Society
Diagnosing Kidney Cancer | NYU Langone Health
Key Statistics About Kidney Cancer | American Cancer Society