About the Treatments

What is kidney cancer? Abnormal growing cancer cells originating from the kidney cause kidney cancer, due to DNA mutation, making cells malfunction and these malfunctioning cells multiply abnormally and grow and destroy that organ from which they arise. Some of them breakoff and spread to rest of the body ( metastasise) Who can get kidney cancer? Kidney cancer can occur to anyone. The commonest reasons which are a risk factor for kidney cancer include: * Smoking * Family history of cancers * Old Age * Obesity * High Blood Pressure * Long term history of Kidney Failure on dialysis * Certain inherited syndromes Symptoms of Kidney Cancer: Majority of Kidney cancer do not give symptoms until its very late. Mostly they get identified during a master health check up. Kidney cancer can present with any or all of these symptoms: * Asymptomatic !!! * Blood in Urine * Back Pain or Flank Pain which doesn't go away * Loss of Appetite * Weight loss more than 10 percent of body weight - rapidly * Tiredness * Fever Types of Kidney Cancer: * Renal Cell Carcinoma - Clear Cell Carcinoma - most common *Papillary RCC * Chromophobe RCC * Collecting Duct RCC * Transitional Cell Carcinoma * Wilm's Tumour Rare types include Sarcoma. Prevention of Kidney Cancer: *Eating Healthy nutrition diet * Hydrate well * Avoid smoking * Maintain Blood Pressure * Periodical check up - for early detection, if something crops up How to diagnose Kidney tumour? Anyone with the above symptoms will need complete analysis - physical checkup and investigations including Blood workup, Imaging (Scanning the Kidney for Abnormalities). CT with Contrast / MR scan PET CT These are some of the investigations needed to evaluate and plan further treatment. Treatment for Kidney Cancer: Treatment cannot be generalised for all cancers. Early diagnosis and early stage cancer can be treated by partial nephrectomy (conserving the functioning part of the kidney ) Robotic kidney cancer surgery works with finesse in trained hands to give excellent clearance Late Diagnosis may need radical nephrectomy - complete removal of the cancer invaded kidney Targeted Chemotherapy, Immunotherapy are other modalities for managing Kidney Cancers. For further details and queries on kidney cancer treatment, do reach out to Ray & Rio's Speciality Clinic located at Egmore & Neelankarai. Call us on 7338999199, 9840519139 for appointments with Dr. Griffin, Our Senior Urologist, experienced in robotic kidney cancer surgery.