Cancer of Kidney is some thing that can appear in adults as well as children.
Here are some detials Kidney cancer, including the signs and symptoms, causes, treatment, and survival rates.
Kidney cancer, also called renal cancer, is a cancer that starts in the kidney cells. This type of cancer can affect anyone, including the children, and can stop the kidneys from working normally. There are different types of kidney cancer – and the main types are renal cell cancer, transitional cell cancer, and Wilms tumour. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC), or renal cell cancer or renal cell adenocarcinoma, is by far the most common type of kidney cancer. Meanwhile, March is Kidney Cancer Awareness month, and March 14 is World Kidney Day – a global awareness campaign focusing on how to keep the kidneys healthy.
The theme for 2019 World Kidney Day is ‘Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere’. This year’s theme calls for universal health coverage (UHC) for prevention and early treatment of kidney diseases. It is estimated that some 850 million people worldwide are now suffering from kidney diseases from various causes. Chronic kidney disease (CKD), which causes at least 2.4 million deaths per year and is now the 6th fastest growing cause of death, and cancer are connected in a number of ways in both directions. This article delves into the research and looks at some key facts about kidney cancer, including the symptoms, risk factors and prevention. Read – ‘Why Cheat India’ actor Emraan Hashmi’s son Ayaan is now cancer-free: What causes kidney cancer in children?
What are the signs and symptoms of kidney cancer?
In most cases, kidney cancer may only be detected during tests carried out for other health issues because there are no obvious signs in the initial stages. However, symptoms may appear as the tumour grows larger and people may have one or more of the following signs:
Blood in the urine (haematuria)
Persistent pain in your lower back or side, just below your ribs
A lump or swelling in your side or abdomen
Unexplained weight loss
Loss of appetite
Swelling in your ankles or legs
Extreme fatigue
According to WebMD, cancer that spreads to other parts of the body may cause other symptoms such as shortness of breath, bone pain, coughing up blood, etc.
What causes kidney cancer?
Doctors don’t know what exactly causes kidney cancer, yet there are certain things that can play a role in the development of this condition. Risk factors for kidney cancer include – overweight or obesity, smoking, high blood pressure, a family history of kidney cancer, long-term dialysis, genetic conditions like Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome.
It is claimed that men are about twice as likely as women to develop kidney cancer. Read – 4 most common urological problems in women: Incontinence after pregnancy, blood in urine, UTIs, kidney stones
How is kidney cancer treated? Can it be cured?
Treatment for kidney cancer may differ based on a number of factors, including the patients’ age, size of the cancer and whether it has spread to other parts of the body. The main forms of treatment are surgery, radiotherapy, cryotherapy or radiofrequency ablation, embolisation, biological therapies, etc.
Kidney cancer, if diagnosed early, can often be cured. Unfortunately, a cure isn’t usually possible if cancer has spread beyond the kidney.
What is the survival rate for kidney cancer?
Survival rates for kidney cancer depend on many things- such as an individual condition, type of cancer, treatment and level of fitness. This means no one can tell exactly how long a patient will live following the diagnosis, although there are general statistics based on large groups of patients. As per Cancer Research UK, for people diagnosed with kidney cancer in England and Wales, about 50 out of every 100 (about 50%) survive their cancer for 10 years or more after they are diagnosed with the condition.