Kidney Cancer Treatment: How Early Diagnosis Improves Outcomes

Understanding Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer develops when normal cells in the kidney start to undergo DNA changes, which often leads to an uncontrolled growth and the formation of a tumor. The cancer generally forms when something triggers a change in the cells, and they divide out of control. A cancerous or malignant tumor in the kidney can spread to other organs, when this happens, it's called metastasis, this is an advanced stage of cancer.

Renal cancer usually appears silent in its early stages, which shows few to no symptoms, which makes regular health checkups and awareness of risk factors even more crucial.

There are different types of renal cancer, including:

• Renal cell carcinoma: This is the most common type of kidney cancer which accounts approximately 85% of all kidney cancers in adults. 
• Transitional cell cancer: The transitional cell carcinoma usually begins in the area where ureter connects to the main parts of your kidney. These types of cancer account for 6% to 7% of all renal cancers. 
• Renal sarcoma: This type of cancer is the least common type of cancer found in the kidneys, which accounts for only 1% of all renal cancers. 
• Wilms tumor: This is the most common type of cancer found in children. Studies suggest these cancers account for about 5% of renal cancers.

More treatment options

When the cancer gets detected in its early stages which is usually confined to the kidney itself. At this stage, surgical removal of the tumor or a single part of the kidney can be considered curative.

For example: in minimally invasive surgeries, such as laparoscopic or robotic assisted surgical procedures are also considered more viable in the early stages of these cancers, which often leads to faster recovery and few complications.

While, in contrast a more advanced cancer in kidneys might require more aggressive and complex treatments, including:

• Surgery
• Immunotherapy
• Targeted drug therapy
• Radiation
• Chemotherapy
• Ablation
• Combination treatments

Less Organ Damage

When these types of cancers are caught early, surgeries like partial nephrectomies might be possible, which allows the majority of patients to retain better kidney function. This often reduces the major risk of many chronic kidney diseases or the need for dialysis later in life.

How is kidney cancer detected?

When your healthcare provider suspects kidney cancer symptoms in you, then they will perform various tests and physical examinations and assess your previous medical history. They might also suggest some tests that can help assess and diagnose cancer.

Some of these tests may include:

• Urinalysis: A sample of urine is tested to see if it contains blood. 
• Blood tests: These tests are performed to assess the counts of different types of blood cells, along with different types of electrolytes present in the patient's body. Performing blood tests can help you to find out the less red blood counts levels, which indicates anemia and high creatine levels indicates that kidneys are damaged. 
• CT scans: It’s a special X-ray that uses a computer to create a series of images, slices, insides of the body. These types of scans are usually performed with intravenous contrast dyes. People with damaged kidneys may not be able to receive the dye. 
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs): This is a type of test that produces images inside the body using a large magnet, radio waves and a computer. 
• Ultrasound: This is a type of test that uses high-frequency sound waves that are transmitted through body tissues to create images which are displayed on a monitor. Ultrasound is performed to detect tumors which have a different density from healthy tissues.  
• Renal mass biopsy: In this procedure, a thin needle is inserted into the tumor, and a small sample of tissue is removed (biopsy). Later a pathologist will look at the tissue under a microscope to check for the presence of cancer cells.

What can you do to take action against renal cancers?

When you start to experience any of the symptoms of kidney cancer, then try to schedule regular health checkups, especially if you have any of these above-mentioned risk factors. 

If you experience any unusual symptoms, then do not ignore them; some of these may include blood in the urine, persistent pain in the side, or unexplained weight loss. If you come under any of these high risks, then suggest getting an imaging test and further diagnosis.

Try to live a healthy lifestyle; if you are into smoking and drinking alcohol, then quit smoking and limit your alcohol consumption. Practice to maintain a healthy weight, eat a balanced and nutritious diet, and control your blood pressure to reduce the risk of developing kidney cancer.