Get answers to your kidney cancer-related questions by e-mailing Dr. Arif Hussain.
Dr. Hussain's Bio | Q&A Archive
Renal cell carcinoma is a type of kidney cancer. The cancerous cells are found in the lining of very small tubes (tubules) in the kidney. It is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults.
Renal cell carcinoma affects about 3 in 10,000 people, resulting in about 32,000 new cases in the US per year. Every year, about 12,000 people in the US die from renal cell carcinoma. It occurs is most common in people between 50 and 70 years of age, and typically affects men.
The exact cause is unknown.
Risk factors include:
The first symptom is usually blood in the urine. Sometimes both kidneys are involved. The cancer spreads easily, most often to the lungs and other organs. About one-third of patients have spreading ( metastasis ) at the time of diagnosis.
US Food and Drug Administration. FDA Approves New Treatment for Advanced Kidney Cancer . Rockville, MD: National Press Office; December 20, 2005. Press Release P05-107.
|
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch). |