Kidney Cancer Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Kidney cancer is a disease characterized by the emergence of malignant tumor cells in the kidney. There are several types of malignant tumor cells in the kidney, but the most common is renal cell carcinoma.
This disease generally occurs in elderly people, aged 60 years and over. If found at an early stage, kidney cancer can often be cured.
Symptom
Unfortunately, in its early stages, kidney cancer usually doesn’t show any symptoms. In advanced stages, symptoms can include:
- Bloody urine
- Feel the lump in the waist
- Pain or aches come and go in the waist
- Prolonged fever or excessive sweating at night
- Feeling tired quickly
- The body looks thinner or the weight drops dramatically
Reason
Basically, kidney cancer occurs because there is a change in the structure of the DNA in the cell nucleus. These changes cause malignant cells to multiply uncontrollably. However, the things that cause changes in the structure of DNA have not been known for certain until now.
However, there are several conditions that make a person more susceptible to kidney cancer, namely:
- Age 60 and over
- Have a smoking habit
- Obesity
- Have hypertension
- Frequent exposure to certain chemicals, such as asbestos, trichloroethylene, and cadmium
Diagnosis
To determine the diagnosis of kidney cancer, the doctor will perform a physical examination and several additional examinations, such as blood tests, urine analysis examinations, ultrasound, and CT scans. These four examinations are needed to see the possibility of a tumor in the kidney and ensure that other diseases are not experienced.
If indeed a tumor appears in the kidney from an ultrasound or CT scan, then a biopsy will be performed through a cystoscopy examination. Cystoscopy examination is done by inserting a kind of camera up to the kidney, to see the condition of the kidney. At the time of performing this cystoscopy, the doctor will also take a small amount of tissue that is suspected of being cancer for further examination in the laboratory.
Treatment
Treatment for kidney cancer depends on the general condition of the body and on the stage of the cancer. In principle, as much as possible the kidney affected by cancer is removed through nephrectomy surgery. However, this can only be done if the kidney tumor is still small (generally less than four centimeters) and the other kidney is still in good condition.
If surgery cannot be done, several other types of treatment that may be done are:
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Embolization
This action aims to block the blood vessels that flow in the kidney that has cancer. By blocking blood vessels, it is hoped that cancer cells will not receive food and oxygen supply so that over time they will shrink.
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Chemotherapy and immunotherapy
This treatment is given through an infusion, aiming to kill cancer cells by increasing the body’s immunity to fight cancer.
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Radiotherapy/radiation
Radiation cannot completely cure kidney cancer. Usually, radiation is meant to shrink the size of the cancer. The purpose of radiation is more directed at reducing the complaints experienced by patients with kidney cancer.
Prevention
Kidney cancer is not completely preventable. But by adopting a healthy lifestyle, a person’s risk of developing kidney cancer can be reduced. Strive for a healthy lifestyle such as:
- Avoid cigarettes and quit smoking
- Consume lots of fiber in the form of fruits and vegetables
- Get regular exercise
- Avoid obesity
- Sleep a minimum of seven hours at night