An Overview on Renal Cancer – Types, Symptoms, Causes, Prevention!

Renal cancer aka kidney cancer has been one of the most common uro oncological issues in our country. With the increasing rate of kidney cancer, more and more people (both men and women) are being diagnosed with the treatments of renal cancer every year. Thankfully, the success rate of kidney cancer is also high. But that is only possible if it is detected and treated at the earliest stage. Since renal cancer has been a common occurrence these days, we all need to have enough knowledge about this uro oncological issue. This blog, drafted by the Best Uro Oncologist in Kolkata covers every important snippet of renal cancer that one needs to know!

What are the common symptoms of renal cancer?

The very first thing that comes to our mind as soon as we get to know about a disease is its potential signs or symptoms. To identify a disease, it is indeed very much important to understand its symptoms first. The potential symptoms of renal cancer include –

Severe pain in the lower back portion
Difficult urination
Blood in the urine
Any visible lump in the lower back or in the waist
Night sweats
Sudden weight loss
High fever that does not fade away on its own
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Long-term anemia

What causes renal cancer?

Generally, renal cancer occurs when the cells in one or both the kidneys grow abnormally or out of control and end up forming a lump, called a tumor. However, the original or exact reason why renal cancer takes place is not fully known to doctors and researchers. But a majority of Uro Oncology Consultants in Kolkata accuse some risk factors to be responsible for renal cancer. The following risk factors for renal cancer are as follows –

Smoking cigarettes
Being obese or gaining excess body weight
High blood pressure
Gender (Men are twice more likely to develop renal cancer than women)
Having chronic renal diseases or going through dialysis
Family history
Age
Excessive use of pain-relieving drugs
Certain genetic problems related to the kidneys
Occupational exposure to certain harmful chemicals that may affect the kidneys
Suffering from Hepatitis C

What are the different types of renal cancer?

There are various types of renal cancers that may affect individuals. However, according to the Best Uro Oncologist in Kolkata, the three major types of kidney cancer are as follows –

Renal Cell Carcinoma: Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) is probably the most common type of renal cancer that affect almost 90% of patients who get diagnosed with kidney cancer. However, RCC originates in the renal cortex, or the outer layer of the kidneys. Uro oncologists may further divide this type of kidney cancer into several subtypes as well.
Transitional Cell Carcinoma: Transitional Cell Carcinoma is a comparatively less common type of kidney cancer that affect adults. About 5 to 10% of renal cancer comes under this category. However, this type of kidney cancer originates in the renal pelvis, which is the centre of the kidneys. An Uro Oncology Specialist in Kolkata may also refer to this category of renal cancer as urothelial carcinomas.
Wilms tumor: Wilms tumor, also known as Nephroblastoma is surprisingly less common in adults. This type of renal cancer is more likely to affect kids or children. However, overall, this type of renal cancer is a pretty rare occurrence.

How to prevent renal cancer?

Here are some general prevention tips for kidney cancer –

Quit smoking
Maintain a healthy body weight
Keep the kidneys healthy

Besides, visiting a Uro Oncology Specialist in Kolkata routinely can help you prevent or detect renal cancer at the right time. If a urologist suspects a patient to suffer from renal cancer, he or she might ask the person to undergo some tests that include urine tests, blood tests, biopsies, etc.

So, if you observe any symptoms of kidney cancer, you must see the Best Uro Oncologist in Kolkata without delaying much time. Remember that, renal cancer is highly curable if it is detected at the early stage.

By Dr. Tarun Jindal

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