Kidney Cancer: Symptoms, Types, and Risk Factors

Kidneys are bean-shaped organs responsible for removing toxic waste from the body. They are present in the abdomen on either side of the spine. An overgrowth of cells constituting this organ leads to kidney cancer.

This article will look at the details of this type of cancer, including its symptoms, types and risks. So, to know more, read on!

Kidney cancer is an abnormal growth of cells in the kidneys, also known as a malignant kidney tumour or a mass. Some masses or tumours in kidneys can be benign or non-cancerous as well.

There are generally no early symptoms of kidney cancer. 

However, here are some signs and symptoms that patients may experience in advanced cancer stages. 

• Anaemia (low red blood cell count)
• Fever that is not caused by an infection and does not go away
• Flank pain between the ribs and hips
• Haematuria (blood in urine)
• Loss of appetite
• Low back pain on one side (not caused by injury) that does not go away
• Weight loss not caused by dieting

If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, it may cause symptoms, such as -

• Bone pain
• Coughing up blood
• Shortness of breath

There are 3 main types of kidney cancer. They are -

Wilms Tumour

This type of tumour occurs in children and rarely in adults. It accounts for 5% of cancers in children.

Renal Cell Carcinomas (RCC)

This type is the most common and occurs where the blood purification mainly takes place. RCC may form as one single tumour or two or more tumours within the kidney. It accounts for 85% of all types of renal cancer. It begins in the lining of the tiny tubes that make up the nephrons.

Transitional Cell Carcinoma

TCC accounts for 6-7% of the total number of kidney cancers. This cancer begins in the renal pelvis. It can also occur in the ureters or bladder.

Besides these, there are around 9 named types of benign kidney tumours in the body. They are mostly non-cancerous.

The exact kidney cancer causes are not known. However, there are some risk factors. Risk factors for kidney cancer include - 

• Smoking
• Obesity
• High blood pressure
• Family history
• Radiation therapy
• Gene mutations
• Long-term dialysis machine
• Tuberous sclerosis
• Von Hippel-Lindau disease

There are no routine lab tests for kidney cancer diagnosis. Mostly, doctors find kidney carcinomas by chance. A doctor may send you to an urologist if he suspects there is something wrong with your kidneys.

To discern whether you have kidney cancer, here are some tests they may ask you to take - 

• Basic or complete metabolic panel (CMP)
• Bone scan and chest x-ray to see if the cancer has spread to other organs
• Complete blood count (CBC) to check the blood for signs of disease
• CT Scan
• Kidney mass biopsy to check if the tumour is malignant or not
• Medical history
• MRI 
• Physical exam  
• Serum creatinine levels or other tests to check if the kidney is functioning properly. 
• Ultrasound to get an image of the kidneys
• Urinalysis

Once you have been diagnosed with kidney cancer, your doctor and you can chalk out a treatment plan.

The goal of treatment: The main goal of kidney cancer treatment is to remove cancer and save as much of the kidney as possible.

The first type of treatment we will look at is surgery -

Radical Nephrectomy

This type of surgery removes the kidneys, surrounding tissues and the adrenal glands. It may also remove surrounding lymph nodes. Presently, doctors can do this surgery with the help of a laparoscope.

Simple Nephrectomy

This surgery removes the kidneys only.

Partial Nephrectomy

Partial nephrectomy occurs when doctors remove cancerous cells and some surrounding tissue. 

Ablation

A surgeon may try to destroy the cancer cells with extreme heat or cold. Your doctor can also perform a biopsy so that a pathologist can test whether the cells are cancerous or not.

There are two forms of ablation. They are cryoablation (extreme cold) and radiofrequency ablation (extreme heat).

Chemotherapy

It may not be as effective for kidney cancer except for a particular type of spindle cells.

Radiation Therapy

This type of treatment uses high energy X-rays to kill cancer cells or stop their growth.

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances to target cancer cells, intending to destroy them.

Professionals may also use these options for kidney cancer treatment after surgery.

If you do not treat cancer in time, it can grow and spread to other body parts. Therefore, kidney cancer should be treated immediately.

Since doctors don’t know what the cause of renal cancer is, there is no way by which you can prevent the disease. However, you can avoid certain factors that increase your risk for cancer. They are -

• Smoking
• Drinking
• Manage blood pressure
• Maintain the right body weight

If the cancer is small and has not spread to other organs, doctors can remove it with surgery. If, however, the tumour is slow-growing or not large enough, nothing is done.

However, if cancer has spread beyond the kidneys, it can be treated with radiation therapy, etc.

Around 7 in 10 people live at least a year after diagnosis. Conversely, about 5 in 10 live at least ten years.

Kidney cancer is among the ten most common types of cancer. It can affect one or both kidneys and disrupt their normal function. Hence, healthy living is advised.