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Renal Cell Carcinoma Cures

Renal cell carcinoma is cancer of the kidneys. They are bean-shaped organs with a weight of 4 to 5 ounces. The main function of the kidney is the filtering of blood, and the ridding of excess water, salt, and waste products from the body. There are several types of similar and related cancers, but the renal cell carcinoma is the most common.

  1. The Kidneys

    • Renal cell carcinoma develops in the kidneys. There are two kidneys located in the upper back wall of abdominal cavity. They fall on the left and right of the spine and are located by the lower rib cage. It filters blood, and eliminates salt excesses, water, and urine from the body. The kidney also controls the creation of red blood cells by making the hormone called erythropoietin which signals to the bone morrow when to create red blood cells. Although there are two kidneys in the body, many people are forced to live with one, if the other malfunctions. If both kidneys are damaged the individual can live on dialysis, which is a machine that filters the blood throughout the body.

    Renal Cell Carcinoma

    • Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is also called renal cell cancer or renal cell adenocarcinoma. It is known as the most common type of kidney cancer. Renal cell carcinoma develops in the kidneys. This cancer can either be one large mass or appear in other parts of the kidneys, or in both kidneys. Most times it is diagnosed before it spreads to other areas of the body. CT scans or ultrasounds are usually used to detect these cancers. The cancer cells are usually found in the lining of the kidney tubules. It generally occurs in men 50 to 70 years old.

    Risk Factors

    • The risk factors for renal cell carcinoma are family history, genetics, smoking, and Von-Hippel-Lindau disease (a hereditary disease that affects capillaries, brain, eyes, and other parts).

    Symptoms

    • The symptoms of the disease are abdominal pain, abnormal urine color (dark, rusty or brown), back pain, bloody urine, weight loss of more than 5 percent, malnourished appearance, enlarged veins around the testicle, flank pain, and abdominal enlargement or swelling. Other symptoms include constipation, cold intolerance, and excessive hair growth in females, paleness, and vision problems. If the cancer is not diagnosed early it can spread to the lungs and other organs.

    Surgical Removal

    • The most effective treatment of renal cell carcinoma is the surgical removal of that part of the kidney (nephrectomy). This could also result in the removal of the bladder or tissues surrounding the kidneys.

    Radiation Therapy

    • Radiation therapy is not effective to treat the disease. The tumor can potentially be treated with hormones, however, to reduce the size.

    Chemotherapy

    • Chemotherapy is usually ineffective in treating this cancer. The drug interleukin-2 (IL-2) has been successfully used by some patients but can be very toxic. Other chemotherapy drugs have been used but if the disease spreads the patient survival rate is reduced. Newer therapies such as Sorafenib (Nexavar), Sunitimb (Sulent) and Temsirolimus (Torisel) is also used in the treatment of the disease. Avistan is also a biological drug has also been used.

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