KIDNEY CANCER

Kidney cancer is also called renal cancer. Kidney cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in the kidneys. The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs found on either side of the spine or backbone just above the waist. Their job is to filter out toxic products from the blood and to clean the blood. The waste is filtered into the urine to be removed from the body.

Symptoms of kidney cancer include:

blood in the urine
lump or mass in the kidney area or abdomen
pain in the lower side of the back, known as flank pain
night sweats, weight loss, anemia, fatigue, and loss of appetite

Risk factors include:

male
tobacco smoking
long-term dialysis
coke oven workers in steel plants and
abnormality in the chromosome 3 genes

Screening for renal cancer with a routine physical exam and a urine test has not shown to be of benefit. If cancer is suspected, additional tests, including x-rays, CT scans, blood tests, and others, will be needed to evaluate the kidneys.

Treatment will depend on whether the tumor has spread outside the kidney:

Surgery removes the affected kidney.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill the cancer cells.
Radiation therapy uses x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.
Hormonal therapy uses hormones to treat the cancer.
Biological therapy uses methods to get your body to fight the cancer.

To learn more about kidney cancer, call the American Cancer Society at (800) ACS-2345 or the National Cancer Institute at (800) 4-CANCER.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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