Kidney cancer is among the 10 most common cancers in both men & women. The lifetime risk is 1 in 63 (1.6%). This risk is higher in men. Risks are as below:
1) Lifestyle-related and job-related
– Smoking
– Obesity
– Workplace exposure to cadmium, some herbicides, organic solvents ie trichloroethylene
2) Genetic & hereditary
3) Others
– Family history of kidney cancer
– High blood pressure
– Certain medications ie phenacetin, diuretics
– Gender – Twice more common in men
Kidney cancer often does not cause many obvious symptoms.
There may be blood in urine, a mass in the abdomen, swelling of the legs, fever not associated with infection, rapid weight loss, fatique, persistent low back pain or general feeling of poor health.
A kidney tumour can become quite large without causing any symptoms.
Early stages of kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma) do not express any symptoms. If caught in early stages, the chances of survival is high.
Many tumours are found by chance during ULTRASOUND study done for vague symptoms. Ultrasound can help find a kidney mass and different echo patterns can help doctors tell some types of benign and malignant kidney tumours from others. Besides that, URINALYSIS can detect blood in urine.
Survival rates improve with early detection
Stages and corresponding 5-year survival rate
I 81%
II 74%
III 53%
IV 8%
