Kidney Cancer or Renal Cancer: Symptoms, Risk Factors and Complications

An abnormal, uncontrolled proliferation of cells often with the invasion of healthy tissues locally or throughout the body is known as Cancer. Uncontrolled and abnormal proliferation of cells in the kidney is known as kidney cancer or renal cancer or renal carcinoma.

Types of renal cancer:

• The most common type of kidney cancer is renal cell carcinoma which begins in the lining of the very small tubes in the kidneys.
• Transitional cell carcinoma develops in the middle of the kidneys or in the renal medulla.
• Wilms tumour, a rapidly developing tumour of the kidney that usually occurs in children.

Symptoms:

Renal cell carcinoma rarely exhibits any of its symptoms in the early stage. In later stages the signs and symptoms that are observed are the following:

• Blood in urine making the urine appear either red, pink or brown in colour.
• The kidneys are present in the posterior abdominal wall hence the patient will experience pain in the back or on the sides.
• Loss of appetite
• Unexplained loss of weight
• Fatigue
• Intermittent fever without any infection.
• Excessive hair growth in women.
• Malnutrition
• Indigestion
• Problems associated with vision.
• Swelling in ankles
• Anaemia
• A sensation of a lump in the abdomen or in the sides.
• Depression
• Sometimes anxiety

Causes:

The causes for renal cell carcinoma are not exactly known however the following factors that are known to cause them are the following:

• Alteration in the structure of DNA of the renal cells causing abnormal cell growth.
• Metastasis of cancer cells from one part of the body to kidney ell, thus mutating them to become cancerous.

Risk factors:

The factors that increase the risk of renal cancer are the following:

• Older adults are at higher risk of having renal cancer.
• Smokers are at higher risk as compared to a non-smoker.
• Obese people are at higher risk of developing renal cancer.
• People having high blood pressure are at higher risk.
• People who are on long-term dialysis are at greater risk of developing renal cancer.
• Exposure to cadmium and certain herbicides increases the risk of renal cancer.
• People having a history of cancer.
• Certain diseases increase the risk of renal cancer, like, Britt-Hogg-Dube Syndrome, hereditary papillary cell carcinoma, tuberous sclerosis complex, Von-Hippel-Lindau disease.
• Exposure to radiation.
• Misusing certain medicines especially pain killers for a long time.

(Know more about Best Oncologists/Oncosurgeons in India.)

 Possible complications of renal cell carcinoma:

• Hypertension or high blood pressure
• Brittle bones as the concentration of calcium increases in the blood.
• Elevated or raised red blood cell count.
• Problems associated with the liver and the spleen.
• Metastasis of cancer to the other body parts.

Lifestyle changes to prevent renal cell carcinoma:

• Quit smoking
• Avoid excessive use of salt in the food
• Avoid drinking alcohol
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Exercise regularly
• Eat healthy food
• Control your blood pressure
• Avoid fatty foods
• Do not use medicines without doctor’s advice.
• Drink plenty of fluid
• Reduce the stress level

Check here: Top 38 Accredited Cancer Hospitals from India