Definition:
Renal cancer means cancer of the kidney; renal being the Latin word for kidney. The most common form of renal cancer is renal cell carcinoma, which starts in the renal tubule.
Diagnosis:
Symptoms of renal cancer may resemble other diseases. In most cases, renal cancer is asymptomatic in its early stages. The disease is frequently detected incidentally through imaging for unrelated conditions.
For a diagnosis of renal cancer, a medical history and physical examination of the patient are important diagnostic factors.
Physicians may order blood and urine lab tests, IVP (intravenous pyelogram), renal angiography, computer tomography scan, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), sonography or ultrasound, and other imaging tests. Based on the results of these initial tests, a biopsy may be necessitated to screen for malignancy.
Treatment:
In about 40% of known cases, where the cancer is restricted only in the kidneys, it can be treated successfully 90% of the time through surgery. If the cancer has spread beyond the kidneys and into other organs of the body (often into the lymph nodes), then adjunctive therapy, including cytoreductive surgery, becomes necessary.
Symptoms and Signs:
Flank pain, hematuria, and abdominal mass are the three most common symptoms of renal cancer, particularly of renal cell carcinoma. These three signs are collectively called “too late triad”, due to the fact that in most cases, these symptoms present at a time when the disease is too advanced for any form of intervention. Most of renal tumors are asymptomatic and detected incidentally in unrelated screening.
Other indicative signs include abnormal urine color, weight loss, vision abnormalities, plethora or pallor, high blood pressure, constipation, and hypercalcemia (elevated levels of calcium).
Causes:
Although the exact cause of renal cancer is currently not known, there are a number of risk factors involved. Smoking has been known to increase a person's chances of developing renal cancer. Studies have also revealed a link between renal cancer and exposure to asbestos and cadmium. Family history can also play a major factor, as well as obesity and a high fat diet. In addition, patients afflicted with tuberous sclerosis as well as those with von Hippel-Lindau syndrome are predisposed.
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