KIDNEY CANCER SPECIALIST IN DELHI

Unfortunately, kidney cancer rarely causes symptoms until the tumor has already grown. However, the most common symptom of kidney cancer is blood in the urine, also called hematuria. If it is not visible to the naked eye, a urine test can find it under the microscope.

While blood in the urine is the most common symptom of kidney cancer, the following are the other symptoms a kidney cancer patient can face, ask any cancer doctor in Delhi, India, and abroad. 

• Low back pain or persistent pressure on one side
• Mass or lump on the side or lower back
• Unexplained weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Night sweats
• Fatigue
• Testicle swelling in men (caused by enlarged veins near the testicle)
• Unexplained fevers that come and go
• Swelling of legs or ankles
• High blood pressure
• Anemia (low red blood cell count)

• Smoking

Smoking is one of the most common risk factors for kidney cancer. It mainly increases the risk of developing renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The increase in risk, per researchers, seems to be related to how much an individual smokes. 

• Obesity

People who are extremely overweight have a higher risk of developing RCC compared to others. Why? It is thought that obesity may cause changes in certain hormones that can lead to RCC.

• High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is also one of the risk factors of high blood pressure. The risk may not be averted even if the individual takes the necessary medicines. 

• Family history for Kidney Cancer

People with a strong family history of kidney cancer are at risk. Brothers and sisters of an individual with a kidney cancer diagnosis 

• Workplace chemical exposure

According to multiple studies, workplace exposure to some substances, such as trichloroethylene, increases the risk for RCC.

• Gender

RCC is twice as common in men as in women. Why? Because even today, men are more likely to smoke and are more likely to be exposed to cancer-causing chemicals at work.

• Race

African Americans have a slightly higher rate of RCC than do Caucasians. 

• Certain medicines

Some studies have shown that certain medications like acetaminophen, a common pain medication, may be linked to increased RCC risk. 

• Advanced kidney disease

People with advanced kidney disease, especially those under dialysis, are more at risk of kidney cancer. 

• Genetic & hereditary risk factors

Some people are at a genetic disadvantage of getting kidney cancer.

The 5-year overall survival rate for people with kidney cancer is 75%. Nevertheless, survival rates depend on several factors like the type, cell type, and stage of cancer when it is first diagnosed. For localized kidney cancer, the rate is 93%; for regional, it is 70%; for distant, it is 13%.

Multiple procedures are used to diagnose kidney cancer. These are a few:

• Blood and urine tests

Blood and urine tests may give your doctor clues about what’s causing your signs and symptoms.

• Imaging tests

Imaging tests like ultrasound, X-ray, CT, or MRI allow doctors to visualize a kidney tumor or abnormality.

• Removing a sample of kidney tissue (biopsy)

In certain circumstances, a doctor may recommend a procedure to remove a small sample of cells (biopsy) from a suspicious area of the kidney. The “sample” is then tested in a lab to look for signs of cancer. This procedure isn’t always used or needed.

Kidney cancer treatments: An in-depth look (H2)

• Surgery

Surgery is the initial treatment for most types of kidney cancers. Surgery removes the cancer cells while preserving normal kidney function, if & when possible. Different types of surgeries are used, including radical nephrectomy (removing the entire affected kidney) and partial nephrectomy (removing the tumor from the kidney).

Post-surgery, for some people at a high risk of cancer returning, adjuvant therapy with drugs like sunitinib (Sutent), a targeted drug, is also used. If you want to know more about adjuvant therapy, you can always consult an expert like Dr. P.K.Das, a leading cancer specialist in Delhi NCR. 

• Non-surgical techniques

If the tumor is small, then nonsurgical treatments like heat & cold are also used. These techniques might also be used if surgery is risky. 

If the tumor is small, then nonsurgical treatments like heat & cold are also used. These techniques might also be used if surgery is risky. The options include cryoablation, meaning treatment to freeze cancer cells, and radiofrequency ablation, meaning treatment to heat cancer cells.

• Targeted therapy

Targeted drug treatments for kidney cancer focus on very specific abnormalities within the cancer cells. These treatments block these abnormalities and cause the cancer cells to die. 

• Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy utilizes the body’s immune system to fight the cancer cells in the body. Immunotherapy is often used in combination with other therapies for kidney cancer. 

• Radiation therapy

Using high-powered energy beams from different sources like X-rays & proton rays, radiation therapy kills cancer cells. It is often used to reduce symptoms of kidney cancer that has spread to other body parts, like bones & the brain. 

• Clinical trials

Multiple innovative clinical trials are being studied worldwide for kidney cancer treatment. 

Kidney cancer is most commonly treated with surgery, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy in cancer patients. A combination of the three in any capacity might also be used. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy may also be used sometimes.

Depending on the type of treatment, the side effects of kidney cancer treatment are:

• fatigue
• skin problems
• diarrhea
• low blood pressure
• fluid buildup in the lungs
• intestinal bleeding
• heart attack
• mouth sores
• hair loss
• bruising & bleeding
• skin issues
• internal organ damage
• incisional hernias
• kidney failure
• pain 
• infection

Kidney cancer should not be feared. It should be treated. If you have been diagnosed with kidney cancer and require the best treatment, care, & support available, you can consult Dr. P.K. Das, a top kidney cancer specialist in Delhi.

Not every type of kidney cancer is aggressive. Some are slow-growing. However, collecting duct carcinoma and renal medullary carcinoma are aggressive types of kidney cancer, which doctors find challenging to treat.

When and if detected early, kidney cancer is curable in most cases.

Smokers are at a higher risk of kidney cancer, and it is one of the most common causes of the same.

According to a recent study, “the average growth rate of kidney tumors in the study was 2.13 cm/year”. However, the spread depends upon whether the cancer is fast or slow-growing.

Post stage 3, Kidney cancer spreads.

Surgery and if surgery is not possible, then radiation therapy or/and arterial embolization as palliative therapy. Clinical trial drugs or procedures may also be used.

Surgery and if surgery is not possible, then radiation therapy or/and arterial embolization as palliative therapy. Clinical trial drugs or procedures may also be used.

Surgery and if surgery is not possible, then radiation therapy or/and arterial embolization as palliative therapy. Clinical trial drugs or procedures may also be used. Other procedures like surgery for palliative care or other therapies may also be used.

Surgery is rarely a treatment option at this stage, but it can be used in special cases if the primary tumor is still removable. In other cases, systemic therapy using treatments like immunotherapy or targeted therapy is used.