Kidney cancer
Description of Kidney cancer
Description
Kidneys are fist-sized organs on either side of your backbone above your waist. The tubes inside filter and clean your blood, taking out waste products and making urine. Kidney cancer forms in the lining of tiny tubes inside your kidneys.
Causes and Risk Factors
Common risk factors are:
1. Increasing age
2. Smoking
3. Certain genetic conditions
4. Misuse of pain medicines over an extended time span
Signs and Symptoms
You may have no symptoms at first. They may appear as cancer grows. They are:
1. Blood in your urine
2. A lump in your abdomen
3. Weight loss for no reason
4. Pain in your side that does not go away
5. Loss of appetite
Investigations
Your doctor may recommend tests to diagnose kidney cancer which include:
1. Blood tests
2. Urine tests
3. Imaging tests
4. Biopsy
Treatment
Treatment depends on the age, overall health, and the stage in which the cancer is. It might include:
1. Surgery
2. Chemotherapy
3. Radiation
4. Biologic or targeted therapies
NIH: National Cancer Institute
Frequently Asked Questions about Kidney cancer
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