The kidneys are essential organs of our body that is responsible for the task of excretion of waste materials. There are 2 kidneys which are bean shaped measuring approximately the size of your fist. The primary job of the kidney is to remove the impurities from the blood through filtering and expelling the waste products. Kidneys are located just below the spinal cord in the lower abdomen. There is an adrenal gland at the top of kidney which is covered by fatty mass of tissue.
The kidneys are also responsible in maintaining the blood pressure of your body and they produce fresh red blood cells. Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults. Some children can also develop Wilms tumor in kidneys. At present the rate of kidney cancer is steadily increasing. This can be due to usage of CT/MRI scan frequently for analyzing other diseases.
When abnormal cells grow in uncontrolled manner in the kidneys, it causes cancer. Obesity and having hypertension are the primary risk factors of getting kidney cancer. Bloody discharge in the urine and intense pain on the sides and loss of weight are some of the signs of kidney cancer. Common methods of treatment are chemo and radiation therapy and surgery.
Symptoms :
In most of the cases kidney cancer will not show any symptoms in the initial stages or until the disease has advanced considerably. It may cause back pain, sudden pain below the ribs, blood discharge in the urine, loss of weight (without trying) and extreme tiredness in the later stages of cancer. Some people may get mild fever regularly which does not get resolved with medications.
Causes :
Exact cause of kidney cancer is not known. It develops due to abnormal cell division or gene mutations in the DNA of the kidney cells. It is still not clear why certain people (without any risk factors) develop kidney cancer and why others (with too many risk factors) are not developing it.
Risk Factors :
People who are over-weight, people who smoke regularly, people with high blood pressure and people with other types of kidney problems are prone to develop kidney cancer. Often people who are above 45 years who are obese are likely to get this cancer. Individual who undergoes dialysis regularly have increased risk of getting kidney cancer. A person with VHL syndrome or working in hazardous environment or frequently exposed to asbestos or cadmium dust is likely to develop kidney cancer. Men are prone to develop kidney cancer more than women.