Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma)

The kidneys are located in the human body to the right and left of the spine at the back of the body and are about the size of a fist. The kidneys are responsible for vital tasks in the body, e.g., they remove waste products from the blood and thus detoxify the body of these harmful substances, which are then excreted in the urine.

Cancer cells have the ability to multiply unchecked and can displace healthy body tissue and spread or scatter throughout the body. The cells of the kidney tissue can also degenerate malignantly; the technical term in this case is renal cell carcinoma. Kidney cancer tends to spread to the lungs, liver, bones, and lymph nodes. However, it can be said that kidney cancer is comparatively rare, with around 15,000 new cases per year (the figure for prostate cancer is around 64,000 new cases per year, and for breast cancer, as many as 70,000 new cases per year).

In 75 out of 100 cases, kidney cancer is diagnosed early; in the remaining cases, it is at an advanced stage or has already spread.

How is kidney cancer diagnosed?

Kidney cancer usually causes no symptoms and is often diagnosed as an incidental finding. Nowadays, it is often discovered as an incidental finding, usually during an ultrasound scan or other imaging. Symptoms such as blood in the urine or pain in the side of the back tend to appear late, if at all, when the cancer is already at an advanced stage.

With the help of imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which provide images of the inside of the body layer by layer, doctors can precisely determine whether a tumour is present in the kidney. Sometimes a biopsy of the kidney is performed, i.e., a small piece of tissue is removed for further examination and closer inspection under a microscope.

Therapy

Kidney cancer is easily treatable, provided it is detected early enough. Surgery is usually the best treatment option, and the course of the disease is good. There are two options: organ-preserving surgery, in which only part of the kidney with the tumour is removed and the rest of the kidney is left in place, or complete removal of the kidney. According to studies, both methods should have similar effects on the patient’s long-term prognosis. The advantage of organ-preserving surgery is that kidney function is not so severely impaired and the patient’s quality of life is better preserved. Partial removal is possible if the tumour is well located and small in size.

There are also two different approaches to surgical removal: the “classic open” method, in which the abdominal cavity is opened with a longer incision, or laparoscopic surgery, in which instruments are inserted into the abdominal cavity in several small steps to remove the tumour.

If the patient’s physical condition, advanced age, and other illnesses mean that surgery is too much of a strain on the body, then it is of no benefit as a curative procedure. In these cases, or if the tumour is no larger than 4 cm, the malignant cancer tissue can be destroyed directly in the kidney either by heat (radiofrequency ablation) or by cold (cryoablation). It is also possible to observe and closely monitor the kidney cancer and refrain from treatment (active surveillance).

Plan your treatment!

Your needs and physical condition play an important role in drawing up your treatment plan. The possible options, their advantages and disadvantages, and their impact on your life will be discussed together, along with the best possible course of treatment.

Feel free to contact us if you have any inquiries or any additional questions.

*Pharmalps is not a clinic*