ARTICLES
Kidney Cancer - Causes, Symptoms, Information
with Treatment
Most cancers are named after the part of the body
where the cancer first begins, and kidney cancer is
no exception. As kidney cancer grows, it may invade
organs near the kidney. Kidney cancer begins in the
kidneys two large, bean-shaped organs one located to
the left, and the other to the right of the backbone.
Some of the areas it affects are the liver, colon,
and pancreas. Renal is the Latin word for kidney, and
kidney cancer may also be referred to as renal cancer.
Kidney cancer cells may also break away from the original
tumor and spread (metastasize) to other parts of the
body. When kidney cancer spreads, cancer cells may
appear in the lymph nodes.
Causes of Kidney Cancer
The common Causes and risk factors of Kidney Cancer:
Smoking.
High blood pressure.
Obesity.
Poor diet.
Tuberous sclerosis.
Family history.
Symptoms of Kidney Cancer
Some Symptoms of Kidney Cancer:
A lump or mass in the kidney area.
Weight loss.
High blood pressure.
Side pain that does not go away.
Blood in the urine.
Loss of appetite.
Fever.
Fatigue.
Treatment of Kidney Cancer
Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells, and is also
sometimes used to relieve pain when kidney cancer has spread to the bone.
Biological therapy is a treatment that uses the body's own immune system to
fight cancer.
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells.
Hormone therapy is used in a small number of patients with advanced kidney
cancer to try to control the growth of cancer cells.
The whole kidney is removed along with the adrenal gland, tissue around the
kidney, and, sometimes, lymph nodes in the area. |