Kidney Cancer
Kidney Cancer: Statistics, Cause and Other Information to Understand
Kidneys are not exempted from having cancer. Today, a lot of people suffer from kidney Cancer and are taking various medications as treatment. Kidney tumor is a rare form of Cancer and the cure of Kidney Cancer depends on the stage at which the kidney Cancer was detected in a patient. Being knowledgeable of this disease helps you prepare your body for the treatment, and in some cases, avoid having this problem in the long run.
Several vital information you must learn about kidney cancer includes the following:
Kidney Cancer Statistics
Understanding kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, through numbers is important for people today. According to American Cancer Society’s 2013 forecast, approximately 65,000 new cases of cancer will be listed this year, with two-thirds of them being male patients. Estimated death statistics due to this problem is around 13,500 cases.
Patients who have been diagnosed with renal cancer are concerned about the 5-year survival rates noted down on this disease. This statistic refers to the number of individuals who survived cancer five years after its diagnosis. This numbers vary depending on the cancer’s stage upon diagnosis and the patients’ health. People diagnosed with Stage I and II cancer have around 80% to 70% survival rate, respectively. Stage III cancer patients have around 50% survival rate, and Stage IV patients with less than 10% chance to survive.
Prognosis Of Kidney Cancer
Prognosis for kidney cancer varies depending on the cancer type and its stages. The first type of kidney cancer is the renal cell cancer, which is the type recorded among approximately 80% of cases noted in the medical field. Urothelial cell cancer is the other cancer type present among these patients. Just like other cancer types, this can be treated when diagnosed early using various treatment procedures. This contributes to better chances of surviving the next five years after diagnosis. Patients also have high chances of survival if they have no other complications.
A patient suspected of having this disease will undergo testing procedures to have an idea if the cancer causes the problem or other problems.
Symptoms Of Kidney Cancer
Kidney cancer symptoms commonly include a prominent, abdominal mass which can be revealed through palpation. Hematuria or the presentation of blood in the urine is also another symptom to watch out for in patients. Other symptoms of kidney Cancer can be indicative of other urinary tract problems such as high fever, loss of appetite, exhaustion, and pain on the abdomen. Patients need to verify these symptoms through testing and know if the cause is cancer or not. The doctor might ask the patient to provide them 72 hour early morning sample of urine collected.
Kidney Cancer Causes and Treatment
Experts may not immediately point out the actual cause of kidney cancer, but noted risk factors can increase the chances of developing this disease. Examples include smoking, hypertension, obesity, work environment and genetic factors. Treatments are similar with other types of cancer. These include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and medications. Treatment procedures vary depending on the patients health status and age. In some cases, physicians need to conduct a nephrectomy, where they remove the affected kidney. Patients need to work with physicians to get the right treatment.
Kidney cancer can be treated when diagnosed early. Patients are probably worried, but knowing about this disease and undergoing treatment will save a patient from different types of renal cancer or at least survival rate in the patients. There is also a possibility that the cancer is in the kidney came through metastasis of the cancer from another part of body. In this case the medicine that are usually prescribed are of original type of cancer and not the kidney Cancer.