Renal cell carcinoma
Renal cell carcinoma is a type of kidney cancer that starts in the lining of very small tubes (tubules) in the kidney.
Causes
Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults. It occurs most often in men 60 to 70 years old.
The exact cause is unknown.
The following may increase your risk of kidney cancer:
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Dialysis treatment
- Family history of the disease
- High blood pressure
- Horseshoe kidney
- Long-term use of certain medicines, such as pain pills or water pills (diuretics)
- Polycystic kidney disease
- Von Hippel-Lindau disease (a hereditary disease that affects blood vessels in the brain, eyes, and other body parts)
- Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome (a genetic disease associated with benign skin tumors and lung cysts)
Benign
Benign refers to a condition, tumor, or growth that is not cancerous. This means that it does not spread to other parts of the body. It does not in...
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Symptoms
Symptoms of this cancer may include any of the following:
- Abdominal pain and swelling
Abdominal pain
Abdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article - Back pain
- Blood in the urine
Blood in the urine
Blood in your urine is called hematuria. The amount may be very small and only detected with urine tests or under a microscope. In other cases, the...
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- Flank pain
- Weight loss
Weight loss
Unexplained weight loss is a decrease in body weight, when you did not try to lose the weight on your own. Many people gain and lose weight. Uninten...
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- Liver dysfunction
- Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
- Excessive hair growth in females
- Pale skin
- Vision problems
Exams and Tests
The health care provider will perform a physical exam. This may reveal a mass or swelling of the abdomen.
Tests that may be ordered include:
- Abdominal CT scan
Abdominal CT scan
An abdominal CT scan is an imaging test that uses x-rays to create cross-sectional pictures of the belly area. CT stands for computed tomography....
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- Complete blood count (CBC)
(CBC)
A complete blood count (CBC) test measures the following:The number of white blood cells (WBC count)The number of red blood cells (RBC count)The numb...
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article - Intravenous pyelogram (IVP)
(IVP)
An intravenous pyelogram (IVP) is a special x-ray exam of the kidneys, bladder, and ureters (the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladd...
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Liver function tests
Liver function tests are common tests that are used to see how well the liver is working. Tests include:AlbuminAlpha-1 antitrypsinAlkaline phosphata...
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- Ultrasound of the abdomen and kidney
- Urinalysis
Urinalysis
Urinalysis is the physical, chemical, and microscopic examination of urine. It involves a number of tests to detect and measure various compounds th...
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The following tests may be done to see if the cancer has spread:
- Abdominal MRI
Abdominal MRI
An abdominal magnetic resonance imaging scan is an imaging test that uses powerful magnets and radio waves. The waves create pictures of the inside ...
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Biopsy
A kidney biopsy is the removal of a small piece of kidney tissue for examination.
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- Chest x-ray
Chest x-ray
A chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.
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- PET scan
Treatment
Surgery to remove all or part of the kidney (nephrectomy) is usually recommended. This may include removing the bladder, surrounding tissues, or lymph nodes. A cure is unlikely unless all of the cancer is removed with surgery. But even if some cancer is left behind, there may be a benefit from surgery.
Nephrectomy
Kidney removal, or nephrectomy, is surgery to remove all or part of a kidney. It may involve:Part of one kidney removed (partial nephrectomy). All o...
Chemotherapy is generally not effective for treating kidney cancer in adults. Newer immune system medicines (immunotherapy) and targeted therapies may help some people. Your provider can tell you more.
Radiation therapy is usually done only when the cancer spreads to the bone or brain.
Support Groups
You can ease the stress of illness by joining a support group whose members share common experiences and problems.
Support group
The following organizations are good resources for information on cancer:American Cancer Society. Support and online communities. www. cancer. org/...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleOutlook (Prognosis)
Sometimes, both kidneys are involved. The cancer spreads easily, most often to the lungs and other organs. In about one fourth of people, the cancer has already spread (metastasized) at the time of diagnosis.
How well someone with kidney cancer does depends on how much the cancer has spread and how well treatment works. The survival rate is highest if the tumor is in the early stages and has not spread outside the kidney. If it has spread to the lymph nodes or to other organs, the survival rate is much lower.
Possible Complications
Complications of kidney cancer include:
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Too much calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia)
- High red blood cell count (erythrocytosis)
- Spread of the cancer
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Contact your provider any time you see blood in the urine. Also contact your provider if you have any other symptoms of this disorder.
Prevention
Stop smoking. Follow your provider's recommendations in the treatment of kidney disorders, especially those that may require dialysis.
Reviewed By
Todd Gersten, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, Wellington, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
National Cancer Institute website. Renal cell cancer treatment (PDQ) -- health professional version. www.cancer.gov/types/kidney/hp/kidney-treatment-pdq. Updated March 1, 2024. Accessed May 6, 2024.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network website. NCCN clinical practice guidelines in oncology: kidney cancer. Version 3. 2024. www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/kidney.pdf . Updated March 11, 2024. Accessed May 6, 2024.
Weiss RH, Jaimes EA, Hu SL. Kidney cancer. In: Yu ASL, Chertow GM, Luyckx VA, Marsden PA, Skorecki K, Taal MW, eds. Brenner and Rector's The Kidney. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 41.
