Renal Cancer: Causes, Risk Factors, and Treatments
Renal cancer, also known as kidney cancer, is a cancer in which kidney cells become cancerous and grow out of control. Kidney cancer is also known as renal cancer or renal cell adenocarcinoma. Adenocarcinoma is a glandular type of tumor or carcinomas that can occur throughout the body. The life-saving function of our kidneys include filtering our body’s blood. When the kidney system develops problems, there are symptoms that should not be ignored, but be brought to the attention of your physician.
The symptoms of renal cancer can include:
● A hard lump in the abdominal region
● Blood in urine
● Chronic fatigue
● Fever
● Sharp back pain
● Sharp pain emanating from the side of the abdominal
● Sudden weight loss
There are a few risk factors for renal cancer that can increase the likelihood of developing one of several types of cancers. This includes age, existing diabetes, long term chemical exposure, hormonal changes, hypertension, poor diet, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and smoking. Yet, kidney cancer or renal cell adenocarcinoma has causes that may develop into renal cancer even though clinical researchers and doctors are still looking succinctly into why they form.
1. Cell mutations
One of the possible causes that is well known in the medical community, is DNA changes or inherited cell mutations. DNA is inside every cell in the human body and when these inherited cells mutate, divide, die, and new cells grow, certain cells could contain tumor genes and become cancerous. As one of the risk factors for renal cancer, DNA changes can cause kidney cancer or renal cell adenocarcinoma. DNA or hereditary cell changes is something that is out of our control. The only changes a person can make to impede the risk of renal cancer is to improve their lifestyle based on the risk factors identified above.
2. Poor diet and lifestyle choices
The medical community believes that by making certain lifestyle changes we may be able to stave-off developing kidney cancer. These main change is to improve your daily nutritional habits. There are fruits and veggies that are antioxidants by design that can help fight cancer.
3. Smoking
Smoking cigarettes is not good for the body. Certain harmful chemicals used in cigarettes are known to cause damage to the body’s DNA makeup. Another health factor that can improve the odds in not developing renal cancer is watching our weight, especially around the abdomen. Remember, that external fat may not look good, but the internal fat we don’t see can do even more harm.
4. Kidney cancer treatment options
There are many breakthroughs in treating renal cancer. These include radiation treatments, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and individual custom therapy solutions. Surgery is also an option and surgical procedures can remove the cancerous tissues around the affected kidney. We can live with one kidney and there is a surgical solution whereby one tumor affected kidney can be removed. Also, a radical surgical procedure is to remove not only the kidney but nearby glands or lymph nodes.