Kidney Cancer Treatment in Bellandur, Bangalore | Nelivigi Multispeciality
How common is kidney cancer?
In India, as per the 2011 census, there are 2-3 patients with this cancer for every 1 lakh population. This number was projected to increase by 505 by 2020.
What is the common age to get kidney cancer?
The median age of the patient is 52 years in our country. However, kidney cancer is commonly seen between 65 to 74 years. It can be uncommonly seen in much younger age also when it is hereditary.
What causes kidney cancer?
As with all cancers, kidney cancers are genetic in origin which means they are due to mutations in genes. Hereditary mutations are passed down the generation but are responsible for only a small number of cancers. Some kidney cancers are due to acquired mutations as a result of smoking. However a majority are due to unknown genetic factors which in simple terms mean that the cause is unknown.
What are the symptoms of kidney cancer?
Kidney cancers do not cause any symptoms till they grow up to become advanced in stage. The common complaints are blood in urine. As the tumor grows in size and the disease advances, the individual experiences dull aching pain in the abdomen, weight loss, loss of appetite and generalized fatigue. Once the disease is diagnosed at this stage, the outcome is poor. However the good news is that with more people getting annual heath checkups done by ultrasound abdomen, more cancers are being detected at a much earlier stage which makes them curable.
What tests are done in renal cell carcinoma?
The test which diagnoses kidney cancer is ultrasound abdomen. This can be confirmed by doing a CT scan or an MRI which give information about the local extent of the disease. The distant spread can be assessed by doing chest CT scan. Sometimes PET CT scan may be useful to find if the cancer has spread elsewhere but this is not mandatory. Apart from these tests, liver function tests and kidney function tests are useful.