Everything You Need To Know About Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer is slowly becoming a major concern for most countries across the globe. A report published in the National Cancer Institute revealed that from 1992 to 2019, new kidney cancer cases in the United States alone have been on the rise. And according to estimates made by the American Cancer Society, in 2022, there might be a diagnosis of almost 80,000 new cases and a little more than 13,900 of those cases will end up in death.

Although there's been a downward trend in the number of yearly deaths, there's definitely more we can do to cut down on the new cases (via the National Cancer Institute). You may not know but some regular activities and ways of living may be putting you at greater risk. Things as common as taking some medications and interacting with substances like trichloroethylene at work are potential paths to the condition (per the American Cancer Society).

When you understand the causes, you'll be better placed to take preventive measures that'll protect you from being the next new case. Additionally, if more people become willing to know how to keep it at bay, the overall number of new kidney cancer cases around the world will decrease. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about kidney cancer, which makes it a positive step to dealing with this life-threatening illness that claims thousands of lives each year.

The above-mentioned causes fall in the "sporadic kidney cancer causes" category. Another probable cause of kidney cancer that's a different category on its own is the hereditary kidney cancer syndromes. This involves a series of symptoms that often show up together as a result of alteration in hereditary genes. Hereditary syndromes cause hereditary kidney cancer (which is rare) and is different and more dangerous than sporadic ones (via the National Cancer Institute).

There are four popular hereditary syndromes. Hereditary Leiomyomatosis and Renal Cell Cancer (HLRCC) is one of them. It's a syndrome brought about by FH gene mutation, which limits oxygen utilization, hence causing kidney cancer. The second syndrome is Von Hippel-Lindau Disease (VHL) that's linked to VHL gene mutation — the VHL gene is responsible for preventing the rapid growth and division of cells. The mutation minimizes the gene's potency. The syndrome can also cause hearing loss (per MedlinePlus).

The third syndrome is Hereditary Papillary Renal Cancer (HPRC), a type of hereditary syndrome that makes Papillary kidney cancer more likely. The MET gene mutation (MET gene handles cell growth and signaling) makes it hard for the gene to function properly, thus allowing increased (cancer) cell growth. The other syndrome is Birt-Hogg-Dubé (BHD) syndrome. It originates from the FLCN gene mutation (FLCN gene prevents uncontrollable cell growth and spread). The mutation causes the gene to weaken its protective abilities. The European Respiratory Review explains that the syndrome has ties with pneumothorax (a condition where air moves past your lungs).

Speaking in an interview with Today, Katie Coleman, software developer, talked about being diagnosed (in 2020) with renal cell carcinoma, "I had sustained high blood pressure and a rapid heart rate. I started to feel a hard mass in my upper right abdomen. It wasn't a lump. The best way that I can describe it is it felt like I had six-pack abs on that side, but I don't have a six-pack in any way, shape or form. I wasn't getting pain from it, I could just feel it."

Cancer Research UK also notes that blood content in your urine, fever, extreme sweating, sudden slimming, a sickly feeling, back pain (on either side of the kidney areas), loss of appetite, and exhaustion are other possible indicators of kidney cancer. Additionally, if you cough and blood comes out of your mouth, or your neck swells in the gland area, there's pain in your bones, or notice swollen veins in your testicles, you should probably get a check-up (per the National Health Service).

The American Cancer Society mentions anemia as an additional kidney cancer symptom, too. The website also states that, although all the mentioned symptoms might indicate the possibility of kidney cancer or other kinds of cancer, chances are, some mild (benign) health conditions may be the cause.

There are a number of kidney cancer types that exist (via Medical News Today). The most popular one is Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) which is also called renal cell adenocarcinoma or just renal cell cancer. This type occurs when cancer cells develop in your kidney tubes' lining, and they may affect one or both kidneys. The second type is renal medullary cancer which is uncommon but dangerous. In many cases, it targets the right kidney and grows pretty fast — medullary cancer "afflicts young people of African descent" who have sickle cell.

The third is transitional cell cancer, which affects transitional cells that stretch "without breaking" and make part of the ureter and renal pelvis in your kidneys. The ureter is the tube that allows urine from the kidney to your bladder and the renal pelvis is the upper section of the ureter. The cancer may also touch the bladder (per WebMD). The other type of kidney cancer is collecting duct carcinoma. It usually affects your collecting duct (also called renal collecting tubule) located in your kidney. It randomly frequents younger people and its causes are still a mystery (via Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center). 

Normally, after diagnosis is complete and your doctor confirms you have kidney cancer, the next natural step is to stage it. This means determining the stage the cancer is in. There are different staging methods, the TNM (tumor, nodes, and metastasis) system being the commonly used (per the American Cancer Society). It stages kidney cancer based on the tumor's size, lymph nodes, and how far it's spread to other organs. Based on this method, there are four stages of kidney cancer: stage I, stage II, stage III, and stage IV.

In stage I, when the doctor takes cross-sectional measurements of the tumor, it shows to be about 7 centimeters big. It's also within the kidney and hasn't gone beyond. In stage II, the tumor's size is slightly bigger but still within the kidney. It's in stage III that the tumor spreads beyond the kidney. At times, it may have spread to different tissues neighboring your kidney. Penn Medicine explains the tumor's size in this stage can be tiny or huge and may be in blood vessels too.

In stage IV, dynamics are different. The tumor may be visible in other organs, but it may not have affected the lymph nodes (in some cases it may). In other cases, it gets to the Gerota's fascia (the connective tissue that covers your adrenal gland and kidneys) or the adrenal gland — the triangle-like gland on the topmost part of your kidney (via WebMD).

Since some kidney cancers can be handled without the need for surgery, non-surgical options become useful here. Types of non-surgical treatments include radiation therapy, which uses a powerful dose of radiation to eliminate cancer cells and manage nasty cancer symptoms. This method curbs the spread of the tumor in your body. Immunotherapy is another option that powers up your immune system to deal with cancer cells. If immunotherapy doesn't yield rewarding results for those with renal carcinoma, the doctor may recommend chemotherapy. Here, you receive drugs that neutralize rapidly growing cancer cells. Your hair, unfortunately, also becomes a casualty as hair cells are also quickly-growing cells targeted by the drugs (per the Cancer Treatment Centers of America).

Targeted therapy, just like chemotherapy, is another option that falls in the systematic approach for treating kidney cancer using medication. It works with drugs that limit the growth and development of the cancerous tumor. These drugs include two types of inhibitors: tyrosine kinase inhibitors and mTOR inhibitors. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor drugs such as cabozantinib, sorafenib, sunitinib, axitinib, lenvatinib, and pazopanib work by inhibiting tyrosine kinase enzymes which influence the growth of cancer cells through signaling. When the enzymes get blocked from taking signals, the cancer cells can't grow anymore. 

The mTOR inhibitors, on the flip side, include drugs like everolimus that inhibit an enzyme called mTOR which is responsible for the growth and spread of cancer cells (via Cancer Council).

If you receive news that you have cancer, you get a mixture of emotions: confusion, anxiety, worry, numbness, and even guilt. Although each person digests sad news uniquely, these feelings often creep up on almost everyone. From there, you fear for your life and start asking yourself many questions including how you're going to break the news to your friends and family — and if you're financially able to get the condition treated (via Cancer Research UK).

A good way to have everything in control is by creating a plan, advises My Health Alberta. When your treatment begins, consider having an advance care plan which highlights your needs and desires about your healthcare provider, family, and friends, and regarding support and care. When the treatment gets too severe that voicing your concerns becomes a problem, the care plan will help put things into perspective for them. Additionally, having someone to talk to regularly can help take the weight off your shoulders. Your friends, spouse, and relatives can make a good support group. If you're not comfortable sharing with close people, you can use different forms of art like drawing, or writing as ways to express yourself.

According to Cancer Therapy Advisor, if you have trouble handling the financial part of your treatment, you can get help from different cancer organizations like Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition. For your family's accommodation, organizations such as the National Association of Hospital Hospitality Houses can provide solutions for you too.