Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks that make up tissues. Tissues make up the kidneys and the other organs of the body.
Normal cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When normal cells grow old or get damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.
Sometimes, this process goes wrong. New cells form when the body doesn’t need them, and old or damaged cells don’t die as they should. The buildup of extra cells often forms a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor.
Tumors in the kidney can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). Benign tumors are not as harmful as malignant tumors:
Benign tumors (such as cysts):
-- are usually not a threat to life
-- can be treated or removed and usually don’t grow back
-- don’t invade the tissues around them
-- don’t spread to other parts of the body
Malignant growths:
-- may be a threat to life
-- usually can be removed but can grow back
-- can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs
-- can spread to other parts of the body
Kidney cancer cells can spread by breaking away from the kidney tumor. They can travel through lymph vessels to nearby lymph nodes. They can also spread through blood vessels to the lungs, bones, or liver. After spreading, kidney cancer cells may attach to other tissues and grow to form new tumors that may damage those tissues.
National Cancer Institute:
1. Fitango Education
Health Topics
Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer
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2. Overview
Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks that
make up tissues. Tissues make up the kidneys and
the other organs of the body.
Normal cells grow and divide to form new cells as
the body needs them. When normal cells grow old
or get damaged, they die, and new cells take their
place.
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3. Overview
Sometimes, this process goes wrong. New cells
form when the body doesn’t need them, and old
or damaged cells don’t die as they should. The
buildup of extra cells often forms a mass of tissue
called a growth or tumor.
Tumors in the kidney can be benign (not cancer) or
malignant (cancer). Benign tumors are not as
harmful as malignant tumors:
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4. Overview
**Benign tumors**
(such as cysts):
-- are usually not a threat to life
-- can be treated or removed and usually don’t
grow back
-- don’t invade the tissues around them
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5. Overview
**Benign tumors**
-- don’t spread to other parts of the body
**Malignant growths:**
-- may be a threat to life
-- usually can be removed but can grow back
-- can invade and damage nearby tissues and
organs
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6. Overview
**Benign tumors**
-- can spread to other parts of the body
Kidney cancer cells can spread by breaking away
from the kidney tumor. They can travel through
lymph vessels to nearby lymph nodes. They can
also spread through blood vessels to the
lungs, bones, or liver. After spreading, kidney
cancer cells may attach to other tissues and grow
to form new tumors that may damage those
tissues.
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7. Overview
**Benign tumors**
National Cancer Institute:
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8. Symptoms
Common symptoms of kidney cancer include:
-- Blood in your urine (which may make urine look
rusty or darker red)
-- Pain in your side that doesn’t go away
-- A lump or mass in your side or abdomen
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9. Symptoms
-- Weight loss for no known reason
-- Fever
-- Feeling very tired
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10. Symptoms
These symptoms may be caused by kidney cancer
or by other health problems, such as an infection
or a kidney cyst. People with these symptoms
should tell their doctor so that any problem can be
diagnosed and treated as early as possible.
National Cancer Institute:
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12. Diagnosis
If you have symptoms that suggest kidney
cancer, your doctor will try to find out what’s
causing the problems.
You may have a physical exam. Also, you may have
one or more of the following tests:
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13. Diagnosis
**Urine tests:**
The lab checks your urine for blood and other
signs of disease.
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14. Diagnosis
**Blood tests:**
The lab checks your blood for several
substances, such as creatinine. A high level of
creatinine may mean the kidneys aren’t doing their
job.
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15. Diagnosis
**Ultrasound:**
An ultrasound device uses sound waves that can’t
be heard by humans. The sound waves make a
pattern of echoes as they bounce off organs inside
your abdomen. The echoes create a picture of your
kidney and nearby tissues. The picture can show a
kidney tumor.
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16. Diagnosis
**CT scan:**
An x-ray machine linked to a computer takes a
series of detailed pictures of your abdomen. You
may receive an injection of contrast material so
your urinary tract and lymph nodes show up
clearly in the pictures. The CT scan can show
cancer in the kidneys, lymph nodes, or elsewhere
in the abdomen.
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17. Diagnosis
**MRI:**
A large machine with a strong magnet linked to a
computer is used to make detailed pictures of your
urinary tract and lymph nodes. You may receive an
injection of contrast material. MRI can show
cancer in your kidneys, lymph nodes, or other
tissues in the abdomen.
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18. Diagnosis
**IVP:**
You’ll receive an injection of dye into a vein in your
arm. The dye travels through the body and collects
in your kidneys. The dye makes them show up on
x-rays. A series of x-rays then tracks the dye as it
moves through your kidneys to your ureters and
bladder. The x-rays can show a kidney tumor or
other problems. (IVP is not used as commonly as
CT or MRI for the detection of kidney cancer.)
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19. Diagnosis
**Biopsy:**
The removal of tissue to look for cancer cells is a
biopsy. In some cases, your doctor will do a biopsy
to diagnose kidney cancer. Your doctor inserts a
thin needle through your skin into the kidney to
remove a small sample of tissue. Your doctor may
use ultrasound or a CT scan to guide the needle. A
pathologist uses a microscope to check for cancer
cells in the tissue.
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20. Diagnosis
**Surgery:**
After surgery to remove part or all of a kidney
tumor, a pathologist can make the final diagnosis
by checking the tissue under a microscope for
cancer cells.
National Cancer Institute:
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21. Treatment
Common treatment options for people with kidney
cancer are surgery, targeted therapy, and biological
therapy. You may receive more than one type of
treatment.
The treatment that’s right for you depends mainly
on the following:
-- The size of the tumor
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22. Treatment
-- Whether the tumor has invaded tissues outside
the kidney
-- Whether the tumor has spread to other parts of
the body
-- Your age and general health
-- You may have a team of specialists to help plan
your treatment.
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23. Treatment
-- Your doctor may refer you to a specialist, or you
may ask for a referral.
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24. Treatment
You may want to see a urologist, a surgeon who
specializes in treating problems of the urinary
tract. Other specialists who treat kidney cancer
include urologic oncologists (surgeons who
specialize in cancers of the urinary tract), medical
oncologists, and radiation oncologists. Your health
care team may also include an oncology nurse and
a registered dietitian.
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25. Treatment
Your health care team can describe your treatment
choices, the expected results of each, and the
possible side effects. Because cancer therapy often
damages healthy cells and tissues, side effects are
common. Before treatment starts, ask your health
care team about possible side effects and how
treatment may change your normal activities. You
and your health care team can work together to
develop a treatment plan that meets your needs.
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26. Treatment
At any stage of disease, supportive care is available
to control pain and other symptoms, to relieve the
side effects of treatment, and to ease emotional
concerns. Information about such care is available
on NCI’s Web site at
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/coping. For
example, some people with kidney cancer may
need to have radiation therapy to relieve pain or
certain other problems. Radiation therapy uses
high-energy rays to kill cancer cells.
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27. Treatment
National Cancer Institute:
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/kidne
y/page8
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28. Causes
When you get a diagnosis of kidney cancer, it’s
natural to wonder what may have caused the
disease. Doctors usually can’t explain why one
person gets kidney cancer and another doesn’t.
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29. Causes
However, we do know that people with certain risk
factors may be more likely than others to develop
kidney cancer. A risk factor is something that may
increase the chance of getting a disease.
Studies have found the following risk factors for
kidney cancer:
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30. Causes
-- Smoking: Smoking tobacco is an important risk
factor for kidney cancer. People who smoke have a
higher risk than nonsmokers. The risk is higher for
those who smoke more cigarettes or for a long
time.
-- Obesity: Being obese increases the risk of kidney
cancer.
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31. Causes
-- High blood pressure: Having high blood pressure
may increase the risk of kidney cancer.
-- Family history of kidney cancer: People with a
family member who had kidney cancer have a
slightly increased risk of the disease. Also, certain
conditions that run in families can increase the risk
of kidney cancer.
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32. Causes
-- Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome: VHL is a rare
disease that runs in some families. It’s caused by
changes in the VHL gene. People with a changed
VHL gene have an increased risk of kidney cancer.
They may also have cysts or tumors in the
eyes, brain, or other parts of the body. Family
members of those with VHL can have a test to
check for a changed VHL gene.
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33. Causes
Many people who get kidney cancer have none of
these risk factors, and many people who have
known risk factors don’t develop the disease.
National Cancer Institute:
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34. Living and coping
Learning that you have kidney cancer can change
your life and the lives of those close to you. These
changes can be hard to handle. It’s normal for
you, your family, and your friends to need help
coping with the feelings that a diagnosis of cancer
can bring.
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35. Living and coping
Concerns about treatments and managing side
effects, hospital stays, and medical bills are
common. You may also worry about caring for your
family, keeping your job, or continuing daily
activities.
Here’s where you can go for support:
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36. Living and coping
-- Doctors, nurses, and other members of your
health care team can answer questions about
treatment, working, or other activities.
-- Social workers, counselors, or members of the
clergy can be helpful if you want to talk about your
feelings or concerns. Often, social workers can
suggest resources for financial
aid, transportation, home care, or emotional
support.
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37. Living and coping
-- Support groups also can help. In these
groups, patients or their family members meet
with other patients or their families to share what
they have learned about coping with cancer and
the effects of treatment. Groups may offer support
in person, over the telephone, or on the Internet.
You may want to talk with a member of your
health care team about finding a support group.
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38. Living and coping
NCI’s Cancer Information Service can help you
locate programs and services for people with
cancer. Call 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237).
Or chat using LiveHelp, NCI’s instant messaging
service, at https://livehelp.cancer.gov/.
For tips on coping, you may want to read the NCI
booklet Taking Time: Support for People With
Cancer.
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39. Living and coping
National Cancer Institute:
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40. Additional resources
National Cancer Institute Kidney Cancer Homepage
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