Renal Cell Carcinoma

The most common type of kidney cancer is Renal Cell Cancer, also called Renal Adenocarcinoma or Hypernephroma.

Copyright, 2004 Debi Foli

The Kidneys
The kidneys are a pair of organs on either side of the spine in the lower abdoman. Each kidney is about the size of a fist. Attached to the top of each kidney is an adrenal gland. A mass of fatty tissue and an outer layer of fibrous tissue (Gerotas fascia) enclose the kidneys and adrenal glands.

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Renal Cell Cancer Risk Factors

Smoking: Cigarette smokers are twice as likely as nonsmokers to develop kidney cancer. Obesity: People who are obese have an increased risk of kidney cancer. High blood pressure: Increases the risk of kidney cancer. Long-term Dialysis: Being on dialysis for many years is a risk factor for kidney cancer. Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome: VHL is a rare disease that runs in some families. An abnormal VHL gene increases the risk of kidney cancer. Occupation: Coke oven workers in the iron and steel industry are at risk. Workers exposed to asbestos or cadmiumalso may be at risk. Gender: Males are more likely than females to be diagnosed with kidney cancer.

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Renal Cell Cancer Symptoms

Blood in the urine (making the urine slightly rusty to deep red) Pain in the side that does not go away A lump or mass in the side or the abdomen Weight loss, fever, anemia Feeling very tired or having a general feeling of poor health

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Background and statistics

In the United States, kidney cancer accounts for about 3% of all cancers, with approximately 12,000 kidney cancer deaths each year.
Kidney cancer strikes more than 28,000 Americans each year many of whom have no overt symptoms. The majority of people with kidney cancer are past the age of 40, and it strikes men twice as often as women. Kidney cancer is usually diagnosed between the ages of 50 and 70, but can occur at any age. It is one of the fastest-growing cancers in the United Kindgom. There are several genetic factors that predispose people to kidney cancer but this only happens in 5% of the cases.

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Treatment
Surgery is the standard treatment for contained kidney cancer. Various surgical options may be available to you, depending on tumor size and location within the kidney capsule. Such surgery is performed by a urologic surgeon.
Radiation and chemotherapy are not very effective in treating kidney cancer. Biologic therapies are used more frequently.

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Prognosis
In 40% of patients, renal cell cancer will be limited to the kidney and is treated exclusively by surgery, which is curative 90% of the time. In the 60% of patients with renal cell cancer that has spread outside the kidney, the disease is generally not curable with surgery and other specialists, such as medical oncologists and possibly even radiation therapists, are involved with treatment. According to the most recent follow-ups from patients treated at the Mayo Clinic between 1996 and 1999, 79% of patients who underwent partial nephrectomy were cancer-free, compared to 77% of patients who underwent radical nephrectomy. Furthermore, the incidence of kidney failure was only 11% in the group of patients who underwent partial nephrectomy, compared to 22% in the group who underwent radical nephrectomy. These results suggest that partial nephrectomy is equally as beneficial as radical nephrectomy and reduces the chance of kidney failure.

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Prognosis Continued
1997 AJCC Pathologic Stage Chance of Cure 5 Years after Surgery
Open Partial Nephrectomy Open Radical Nephrectomy Laparoscopic Radical Nephrectomy T1 N0 M0 (< 4 cm tumor) 91100% 96-97% 89-100% T1 N0 M0 - 95-96% T2 N0 M0 - 88%

1997 AJCC Pathologic Stage Chance of Survival at 5 years with Open Radical Nephrectomy
T3 N0 M0 40-70% T4 N0 M0 0-28% N+ 0-33% M1 0-20%

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Conclusion - Renal Cell Carcinoma

Kidney Cancer is not common in US - 28,000 cases vs. overall 1,334,100 in 2003 (2.09%) Caught early - chances of survival and cure are excellent (91 - 100%) Radiation and Chemotherapy are not very effective for Kidney Cancer (M+ 0 - 20% : N+ 0 - 33%) One Mans Pathology Report gives interesting detail - he is yet to pass his 5 year mark but doing well

7/17/04 Debi Foli - Bio 316 Biology of Cancer