Urological Disorders

Kidney Cancer

What is kidney cancer?

Most cancers are named after the part of the body where the cancer first begins, and kidney cancer is no exception. Kidney cancer begins in the kidneys -- two large, bean-shaped organs -- one located to the left, and the other to the right of the backbone. Renal is the Latin word for kidney, and kidney cancer may also be referred to as renal cancer.

What are the types of kidney cancer?

The most common type of kidney cancer is called renal cell cancer, which accounts for about 85 percent of all kidney tumors. The information contained on this page refers to renal cell cancer.

What causes renal cell cancer (the most common type of kidney cancer)?

The exact cause of renal cell cancer is unknown. However, there are certain risk factors that are linked to it. These risk factors, according to the American Cancer Society, are as follows:

smoking - smoking doubles the risk of kidney cancer.
asbestos - studies show a link between exposure to asbestos and kidney cancer.
cadmium - there may be a link between cadmium exposure and kidney cancer. Cadmium may increase the cancer-causing effect of smoking.
family history of kidney cancer increases a person's risk.
gender - men are twice as likely to get renal cell cancer as are women.
von Hippel-Lindau syndrome - a disease caused by a gene mutation increases the chances of renal cell cancer.
tuberous sclerosis - patients who have this disease are more likely to get renal cell cancer.
diet - a high-fat diet increases a person's risk of kidney cancer.
weight/obesity
long-term dialysis - patients who have been on dialysis for a long time may develop kidney cysts, which be one cause of renal cell cancer.

What are the signs and symptoms of renal cell cancer?

These symptoms may also be caused by other conditions. Consult your doctor if you are experiencing any/all of the following:

blood in the urine
low back pain (not caused by an injury)
unrelieved pain in the side
mass or lump in the belly
fatigue, tiredness
loss of appetite
rapid, unexplained weight loss
recurrent fever (not caused by a cold or the flu)
swelling of ankles and legs
high blood pressure (less frequently)
anemia (less frequently)

Additional tests may be ordered by your physician to determine if these symptoms are a result of kidney cancer.

How kidney cancer (renal cell cancer) may be diagnosed:
In addition to taking the patient's medical history and performing a physical examination, routine blood and urine laboratory tests will be run. Additional evaluation procedures may include:

intravenous pyelogram (IVP) - a series of x-rays of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder with the injection of a dye to show changes in the shape of these organs and nearby lymph nodes.
arteriography - a series of x-rays of the blood vessels with the injection of a dye to show the dye as it moves through the network of blood vessels in and around the kidney.
other imaging tests - include computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and/or ultrasonography, which can show the difference between diseased and healthy tissues.

Based on results of other tests and procedures, a biopsy may be needed. A biopsy is a procedure in which a sample of the tumor is removed and sent to the laboratory for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. Biopsy is the only sure way to diagnose cancer.

How is kidney cancer (renal cell cancer) treated?

Treatment for kidney cancer depends on the stage of the disease, the patient's general health and age, and other factors. Your doctor will develop a treatment plan that fits your individual needs. People with kidney cancer may be treated with:

surgery
Surgery to remove the kidney is called a nephrectomy and it is the most common treatment for kidney cancer.

radical nephrectomy - the whole kidney is removed along with the adrenal gland, tissue around the kidney, and sometimes lymph nodes in the area.

simple nephrectomy - only the kidney is removed.

partial nephrectomy - only the part of the kidney that contains the tumor is removed.

The remaining kidney is generally able to perform the work of both kidneys.

radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy)
Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells, and is also sometimes used to relieve pain when kidney cancer has spread to the bone.

biological therapy (also called immunotherapy)
Biological therapy is a treatment that uses the body's own immune system to fight cancer.

chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells.

hormone therapy
Hormone therapy is used in a small number of patients with advanced kidney cancer to try to control the growth of cancer cells.

arterial embolization
Arterial embolization is a procedure in which small pieces of a special gelatin sponge, or other material, are injected through a catheter to clog the main renal blood vessel. This procedure shrinks the tumor by depriving it of the oxygen-carrying blood and other substances it needs to grow. It may also be used before an operation to make surgery easier, or to provide relief from pain or bleeding when removal of the tumor is not possible.

This page was last updated on: February 28, 2008.

For more information, call the University Physicians Consultation and Referral Service at 1-800-492-5538 (patients) or 1-800-373-4111 (physicians).