Kidney Cancer

More than 60,000 people each year in the U.S. are diagnosed with kidney cancer. Out of that number, more than 14,000 people die from the illness.

Cancer can impact every major organ and system in the human body. However, out of all of the types of cancers that patients can suffer from, kidney cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed and treated in both men and women.

• Kidney cancer is an illness that can impact one or both of the kidneys. With this disease, tumors can form in the kidneys as well as the urinary tract.
• It is one of the 10 most common types of cancers that afflict both men and women today.

Doctors theorize that a number of different factors can increase a person’s chances of developing kidney cancer. They believe it may be caused by:

• Abnormal genetic mutations
• Genetics
• Exposure to toxins like chemicals and tobacco smoke
• High blood pressure
• Obesity

People with these high-risk factors are encouraged to know the symptoms of kidney cancer and seek prompt treatment if they experience any of the signs of this illness.

Kidney cancer presents itself with symptoms that are difficult to ignore. These symptoms can include:

• Blood in the urine
• A lump in the stomach or on either side of the body
• Poor appetite
• Pain in either side of the body
• Weight loss not caused by dieting or exercise
• A high fever that is not linked to the flu or a cold and does not go away on its own after two weeks
• Severe fatigue
• Anemia
• Leg or ankle swelling
• Pain in the bones
• Shortness of breath
• Coughing up blood

Kidney cancer is among the deadliest forms of cancer. However, doctors do have a number of different options for treating it in patients today. Depending on the severity and spread of the illness, your surgeon may recommend that you undergo surgery to remove part or all of the cancerous kidney. This operation is called a partial or full nephrectomy. It may eliminate the cancer and tumors as long as it has not spread to other parts of your body.

Another treatment option is called cryoablation, or freezing of the cancerous kidney cells. If freezing the cells does not work, your doctor may recommend radiofrequency ablation that heats and kills the cancerous kidney cells.

Kidney cancer can spread quickly and impact other parts of your body. It is important to know the symptoms of it so you can seek prompt treatment for this illness.