Health Information : Kidney Cancer

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What is Kidney Cancer?

Kidney Cancer is a condition in which the kidney cells become cancerous and they grow abnormally in the kidney, forming a tumor. Most of the kidney cancers start in the lining of tiny tubes in the kidney, known as renal cell carcinoma. Usually, kidney cancer is detected before it is spread to other organs. This cancer if detected in early stages can be treated successfully.

What causes Kidney Cancer?

The exact reason for kidney cancer is unknown. However, there are certain risk factors that increase your chances of kidney cancer, namely:

• Smoking
• Obesity
• Long term dialysis
• Being male
• Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome

What are the symptoms of Kidney Cancer?

One hardly experiences any symptoms in the initial stages of kidney cancer. However, in later stages, the various symptoms that appear include:

• Blood in your urine
• Constant pain in the side or flank
• A lump in the abdomen or side
• Fever
• Unexplained weight loss
• Tiredness

How can Kidney Cancer be treated?

The treatment for kidney cancer depends on your general health, the kind of kidney cancer you have and whether the disease has spread to other organs or not. Initially your doctor will recommend surgery that includes:

• Radical nephrectomy (removing the affected kidney)
• Partial nephrectomy