Kidney Cancer
Cancer of the kidneys is less prevalent than in major cancer sites such as the colon, prostate and breast, accounting for
only about 3 percent of new adult cancers each year. Yet kidney cancer is not uncommon, with about 30,000 new cases annually.
The chance of survival from kidney cancer is high, if the disease is found and treated early.
Masses in the kidney can be due to cancer or other non-cancerous cause. Cysts (fluid-filled sacs) in the kidney are very common
in adults and are usually benign. Solid masses in the kidney have a very high likelihood of being cancerous.
Common types of kidney cancer include:
- Renal cell cancer - The most common form of kidney cancer, renal cell cancer accounts for nearly 85 percent of kidney tumors. In this condition,
malignant cells grow in the lining of the kidney's tubules and typically develop into a mass.
- Wilms’ tumor - This cancer, though rare, is the most common type of kidney cancer in children.
- Rare tumors include sarcomas and transitional cell carcinoma (which is not technically a kidney cancer but can be confused with a mass
in the kidney) can cause masses in the kidney.
The kidneys
The kidneys are essential to the urinary system. This pair of bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist, is located
near the lower middle of the back, left and right.
The main job of the kidneys is to filter the blood and rid the body of liquid waste. This waste, or urine, drains from each
kidney through a long slender tube called a ureter. The ureters connect to the bladder, where the urine is stored until it
leaves the body through another tube called the urethra. It is possible to survive with less than one complete and fully functioning
kidney. Some people live without any kidneys by having their blood filtered by a machine, in a processed called dialysis.
The kidneys also produce substances that influence blood pressure and that help control red blood cell production.
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