The best guide about kidney problems
Kidneys are organs that belong to the excretory system of our body. It is the primary part of the urinary tract and functions as an organ that excretes the waste products and excess water from the blood and sends it out of the body. Its other functions include maintaining the blood pressure and production of red blood cells. It is located on either side of the spinal cord below the diaphragm. The size of each kidney would be the size of our fist and a layer of fatty tissue encloses the kidneys and the adrenal glands are located above them.
A cancer is formed when new cells are formed in our body even if it is not required and the old cells that are dead and worn out do not die. These extra cells form a mass of tissue and this can result in the growth of a tumor which is classified as benign and malignant. Benign are not cancer nor are they life threatening where as malignant tumors are cancer and life threatening.
Thus, a cancer that arises in the kidney is termed as kidney cancer. There are two important types of kidney cancer based on the location where it arises. They are – renal cell carcinoma and urothelial cell carcinoma. There is a lot of difference in prognosis, staging and treatment of these two types of cancers, hence distinguishing between them is very important. There are many more types of kidney cancer which are less known. They are as followsSquamous cell carcinoma
- Reninoma
- Angiomyolipoma
- Renal oncocytoma
- Clear cell sarcoma
- Bellini duct carcinoma
- Mesoblastic nephroma
- Wilm’s tumour
- Mixed epithelial stromal tumor
- Clear cell adenocarcinoma
- Transitional cell carcinoma
- Inverted papilloma
- Renal lymphoma
- Teratoma
- Carcinosarcoma
- Carcinoid tumor
Though there are many types of cancer like the above, the most common is the renal cell cancer that generally occurs in adults. It is also referred to as renal adenocarcinoma or hypernephroma. Wilm’s tumor is the common kidney cancer that affects children. Kidney cancer that arises in adults and children are different and they should be treated accordingly.
Sometimes, there is a possibility that a secondary cancer can arise in the kidney due to the primary cancer that is present elsewhere in the body. Kidney cancer originates in two prime locations – renal tubule and renal pelvis. When kidney cancer occurs in a person, there are possibilities for it to spread to other parts of the body such as lymph nodes, lungs, liver or bones too. Thus, it is important that a person identifies the symptoms of a kidney cancer and get treated without delay to prevent adverse effects.
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Most of the times, a person with kidney cancer is recommended a surgical treatment since a surgery can remove the tumor present in the kidney. Since the tumor is the source of cancer cells, if it is removed it can increase the life span of a person. Surgery may include the removal of the adrenal [...]
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Kidney cancer is a serious disease and it is very important that timely treatment should be given so that the cancer does not spread to other parts of the body such as bones, lungs, liver or the brain. Once, the procedures to identify a kidney cancer are performed and the tests turn out to be [...]
Kidney cancer is a dangerous disease which should not be ignored. Studies show that kidney cancer can affect 50% more men than women and a survey has shown that the male to female ration is 1.6:1. Also, the Blacks are said to be having a higher risk of kidney cancer than the Whites. About 2-3% [...]
Common signs of kidney cancer are as follows: Blood in the urine Lower back and side pain that persists A lump at the side of the abdomen Abnormality in vision Fever Weight loss Fatigue Polycythemia Anemia Varicocele Plethora Hirsutism Constipation Hypertension Hypercalcemia Night sweats Though these symptoms indicate a possible kidney cancer, a person should [...]