I'm Dr. Brad Leibovich,
urologic oncologist at Mayo Clinic.
In this video, we'll cover
the basics of kidney cancer:
What is it? Who gets it?
The symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
Whether you're looking for answers for
yourself or for someone you love,
we're here to give you
the best information available.
First, let's talk about the kidney.
You have two of these bean-shaped organs,
each about the size of your fist.
They sit right behind your abdominal organs
with one on each side of the spine.
It's their job to filter excess water, salt,
and waste products from your body,
turning those substances into urine.
Like other organs,
kidneys are made up of cellular tissue.
Sometimes the cells in
this tissue behave irregularly.
Changes in their DNA
make them grow in abnormal
ways, forming tumors.
This is how cancer develops.
The most common type of kidney cancer
is renal cell carcinoma.
About nine out of 10
kidney cancers are this type.
With improvements in technology,
thankfully, come improvements and treatment.
So in an encouraging turn,
kidney cancer has never been
more treatable than it is today.
The average age of those
diagnosed with kidney cancer is 64.
It is about twice as common
in men as it is in women.
The exact causes of kidney cancer,
like many other cancers, are not known.
However, we do know that certain things can
increase your chances of
developing kidney cancer.
Older age, smoking, obesity,
high blood pressure, long-term dialysis,
and a family history of
kidney cancer can all increase your risk.
Unfortunately, kidney cancer is
often hard to diagnose,
as it doesn't have clear signs or
symptoms in its early stages.
Over time, the following may
develop: Blood in your urine,
which may appear pink,
red or cola colored.
Pain in your back or side
that does not go away.
Loss of appetite. Unexplained weight loss.
Persistent tiredness. Fever. Or night sweats.
If you're worried that you may
be experiencing these symptoms,
please talk to your doctor.
The way doctors evaluate kidney tumors
may include one or more of
the following tests and procedures:
Blood and urine tests.
Imaging tests like ultrasounds, x-rays,
CT scans and MRIs, which can
help visualize the tumor or abnormality.
On occasion, your doctor
may recommend a biopsy.
This involves removing
a small sample of tissue from
the tumor with a needle for
further testing. If it's
determined that you have kidney cancer,
the next step is staging that cancer.
Staging is a medical term to
describe how advanced your cancer is.
Specific tests for staging could include
further CT scans or other imaging tests.
Once the doctor has enough information,
they'll assign a Roman numeral ranging from
1 to 4 to indicate the stage of your cancer.
The lower end means your cancer
is confined to the kidney.
The higher means the cancer
is considered advanced
and may have spread to
the lymph nodes or other areas of the body.
There are a few small upsides to
kidney cancer versus others.
The fact that we have two kidneys,
and our bodies typically only need
one to function normally,
means that in many occasions,
if the kidney cancer is localized
and hasn't spread to other parts of the body,
not only are the odds of surviving very good,
but typically we do not have
any negative impact on quality of
life from the treatment for kidney cancer.
For most, surgery is the first step.
Depending upon the stage
and severity of cancer,
surgeons may remove
the affected kidney altogether -
a procedure known as
a nephrectomy or radical nephrectomy.
Sometimes they may opt to
remove the tumor from the kidney.
This is known as a partial nephrectomy or
kidney-sparing or nephron-sparing surgery.
In addition to surgery,
some kidney cancers are
destroyed by non-surgical methods.
Cryoablation is a treatment that
freezes and kills cancerous cells.
Radiofrequency ablation
is a treatment that causes
the mutated cells to heat
up, in effect disintegrating them.
The best treatment for you
depends on a handful of factors,
including your overall health,
the kind of kidney cancer you have,
whether the cancer has spread
and your preferences for treatment.
Together, you and your medical team
can decide what's right for you.
Learning you've been diagnosed with
cancer is never easy.
But there are ways to cope with
the daily challenges of
processing your disease,
treatment and recovery.
Learning about your condition
can help you feel
comfortable when it
comes to making decisions.
Taking care of yourself
is another. Stay active.
Sleep well. Eat healthy.
And if you feel up to it,
keep doing the things you enjoy.
Reach out to others.
Your doctor can help
you find a support group.
Don't be afraid to ask
for help if you need it.
It's normal to feel
overwhelmed, depressed or anxious.
Sometimes talking to
a mental health specialist
can make all the difference.
Remember, with the right treatment,
the right team and the right mindset,
there's always a road forward.
If you'd like to learn even
more about kidney cancer,
here are our other related videos or
visit MayoClinic.org. We wish you well.