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Kidney cancer

Kidney cancer is also called renal cancer. Kidney cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in the kidneys. The kidneys are two bean- shaped organs found on either side of the spine or backbone just above the waist. Their job is to filter out toxic products from the blood and to clean the blood. The waste is filtered into the urine to be removed from the body.

Symptoms of kidney cancer include:

• blood in the urine
• lump or mass in the kidney area or abdomen
• pain in the lower side of the back, known as flank pain
• night sweats, weight loss, anemia, fatigue, and loss of appetite

Risk factors include:

• male
• tobacco smoking
• long-term dialysis
• coke oven workers in steel plants and
• abnormality in the chromosome 3 genes

Screening for renal cancer with a routine physical exam and a urine test has not shown to be of benefit. If cancer is suspected, additional tests, including x-rays, CT scans, blood tests, and others, will be needed to evaluate the kidneys.

Treatment will depend on whether the tumor has spread outside the kidney:

• Surgery removes the affected kidney.
• Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill the cancer cells.
• Radiation therapy uses x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.
• Hormonal therapy uses hormones to treat the cancer.
• Biological therapy uses methods to get your body to fight the cancer.

Consult the UI Health Care Cancer Information Service at 800-237-1225 or 319-356-3000 for more information about this topic.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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