Essential Facts of Kidney Cancer

Kidneys are extremely significant and intricate organs in our body. Their chief function is to keep the bodily fluids, which contain the blood and the urine, in equilibrium by continually screening, cleansing and filtering these fluids inside our bodies. These screening, cleansing and filtering actions are very important in keeping our bodies healthy and if something should happen to these kidneys, our bodies can be seriously affected. Like all other organs in our body, our kidneys may cause kidney cancer.

The mainly general kind of kidney cancer in adults is known as renal cell carcinoma. Renal cell carcinoma begins in the small cells that line the tubes within our kidneys. This type of cancer is generally a single mass but can also have many tumors. The most common form of kidney cancer in children is known as Wilms' tumor. The additional type of kidney cancer is the transitional cell carcinoma. This form of cancer starts in the tubes that attach the kidneys to the bladder. In the USA alone, around 51,000 people are diagnosed with kidney cancer each year and this number is increasing.

Several type of risk factors when dealing with kidney cancer. Men are more likely to get renal cell carcinoma than women. As you get older the risk of getting kidney cancer increases, especially those above 60 years old. Smoking also increases the possibility that you will develop cancer in your kidney. Your weight also plays a major role - those who are above average weight have more chances of developing kidney cancer as well. Having high blood pressure also increases the risk of getting renal cell carcinoma, but the reason why this is so is still unknown. Heredity also plays a role in this as well.

Kidney cancer treatment is diagnosed through various methods. One method is through an ultrasound where high-frequency sound waves are used to generate images of internal organs. CT and MRI scans are also used to look for kidney cancer. CT scans use computers to generate better images of internal organs than x-rays scan and MRI scans use magnetic fields and radio waves to generate pictures of our bodies. Dialysis treatment also one of option for kidney cancer. Dialysis utilizes a machine that artificially removes waste from your blood stream.

Kidney cancer rarely causes obvious symptoms in the early stages. In the later stages, the symptoms for kidney cancer includes blood in urine, back pain below the ribs, weight loss, fatigue and fever. If you have any of these symptoms, it is important that you visit your doctor early. Your doctor will be able to assess whether you need to undergo certain scans to see if you do in fact have kidney cancer.