Kidney Cancer Awareness

Kidney Cancer Awareness

Kidney Cancer

What is Kidney Cancer?

Cancer is a group of diseases in which cells grow uncontrollably and have the ability to spread to another part of the body. Cancer cells develop as a result of damage to DNA, the controlling mechanism for all the activities of the cells. This damage may be caused by a number of factors, including environmental, dietary and genetic. The body normally repairs damaged DNA, but in cancer cells, this does not occur.

What is the structure and function of the kidneys?

The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs that are found high in the back of the abdominal cavity. The kidneys filter the blood to remove waste products, which they convert into urine. Urine is carried from each kidney, through a tube called a ureter to the bladder, where it is stored. The kidneys have several other functions, such as blood pressure regulation, acid-base balance, toxin removal, red blood cell production, activation of vitamin D, water balance and electrolyte balance.

Kidney Cancer

Incidence of kidney cancer.

Kidney cancer accounts for 4% of all new cases of cancer diagnosed in men, and just over 2% of all cancers in women. In the UAE, there has been a rising trend of diagnosing cancers in general, as shown in the table below:

Table 1. Age-standardized Cancer Incidence Rates per 100,000 by Sex; Global comparisons

 

 

Male

Female

UAE 1998 – 2005

68.2

67.8

UAE 2008

80.5

120.3

Kidney cancer is a relatively rare cancer; however, some reports have indicated an increasing incidence globally, including the UK. This increase is due in part to the wider application of diagnostic imaging techniques, leading to the incidental detection of asymptomatic kidney tumours.

Who gets it?

Kidney Cancer

There is no direct cause of kidney cancer. However, there are several potentially associated risk factors:

  • The risk is highest in people aged 45-75.
  • An unhealthy diet and being overweight (obesity) increases the risk of developing kidney cancer.
  • Smoking may double the risk of developing kidney cancer for some people. The longer a person smokes and the more ciga-rettes they smoke, the greater the risk.
  • Gender; men are twice as likely to suffer from kidney cancer as women.
  • Family history; people with a first-degree relative (parent, sibling or child) with kidney cancer have about double the risk of developing kidney cancer themselves.
  • Certain medical conditions, such as high blood pressure (hypertension) and chronic kidney disease, especially people on long-term kidney dialysis, have a link to kidney cancer.

Why is spotting cancer early so important?

Spotting cancer early, and getting treated, gives you a better chance of beating the disease.

Symptoms

In the early stages of kidney cancer there may be no obvious symptoms. Many kidney cancers are found simply by chance when someone is being given a scan for another reason. More than half of adult kidney tumours are detected when using an ultrasound scan to investigate other conditions.

Most kidney cancers are too small to feel, but if you feel a lump or mass in the area of your kidneys, you should tell your doctor straight away. You should also see your doctor about any persistent lower back pain or pain in your side between your ribs and hipbone (sometimes called the flank or loin). The sooner kidney cancer is detected, the easier it is to treat.

Typical signs and symptoms of kidney cancer

Kidney Cancer

  • Blood in the urine
  • Persistent lower back pain or pain in the side between the ribs and hipbone
  • A lump or mass in the area of the kidneys
  • Abnormal red blood cell counts
  • High blood pressure
  • Thickening of the blood (polycythaemia)
  • Tiredness
  • Weight loss and/or loss of appetite
  • Running a persistent temperature and sweating heavily, especially at night

Seeing your doctor:

Your doctor will have to do blood and urine tests, including those to test the function of your kidneys. Your doctor will also want to look at your kidneys. Usually the first test he or she will do is an ultrasound scan, which if showed any abnormality, a CT scan will then be needed.

Kidney Cancer Treatment:

Kidney Cancer

Mostly the treatment of kidney cancer is by surgery, which carries the highest chance of cure if diagnosed early.

Traditionally the surgery means removing the whole kidney. However, with the advancement of science and healthcare, partial removal of the kidney can be considered for smaller cancers (less than 7 cm in diameter) if safe to do so. The aim of this surgery is to remove the whole tumour while leaving as much normal tissue as possible. It means that some working kidney is left behind.

It is nowadays possible to use keyhole surgery (laparoscopic radical or partial nephrectomy) to remove all or part of the affected kidney, for which you will need a referral to a specialist urological surgeon with particular experience in laparoscopic kidney surgery. There may be some advantages to having keyhole surgery. For example, you may experience less pain after the operation, need a shorter stay in the hospital and have smaller scars. However, keyhole surgery, like any operation, has some risks, so you should discuss the options with your specialist before surgery.

References:

  1. https://www.kcuk.org.uk/kidneycancer/treating-kidney-cancer/kidney-cancer-surgery/
  2. https://www.haad.ae/simplycheck/tabid/140/Default.aspx
  3. www.who.int/cancer/country-profiles/are_en.pdf?ua=1