Speaking of the most common types of oncology, one cannot ignore the malignant tumor of the kidneys. Over the past decade, the frequency of this disease has increased significantly. Doctors attribute this trend to the deterioration of the overall environmental situation, constant stress and low quality food. How to recognize the main symptoms of kidney cancer and how long do they live with such a diagnosis? In order to answer these questions, you will have to understand the essence of the pathology.
General concepts of illness
Kidney cancer is a cancer in which malignant cells appear in the tissues of the kidney. They differ from ordinary he althy cells by rapid growth and uncontrolled division, which leads to the formation of a tumor.
Symptoms of kidney cancer occur in about 2% of the world's population. According to medical research, this pathology can be observed in patients of different ages, including children and the elderly. With regard to gender, women are slightly less likely to be diagnosed.
To date, oncological diseases are not fully understood. Countries allocate a huge amount of funds for development in thisarea, however, none of the existing methods of therapy can give a 100% guarantee of cure.
Reasons
Based on the way kidney cancer appears, it is divided into 2 types:
- primary - a primary focus appears in the kidney, from which a malignant tumor develops and spreads to neighboring tissues and other organs;
- secondary - cancer cells come from other organs and tissues of the body.
The causes of secondary cancer are quite clear: the presence of oncology of any organ can provoke the growth of a malignant tumor in the tissues of the kidney.
As for the appearance of primary cancer, doctors cannot name the exact reasons here. However, several factors have been identified that can trigger the appearance of cancer cells.
- Genetic predisposition. Such a diagnosis in close relatives significantly increases the risk of oncology.
- Chronic kidney disease. Among them, a violation of the functions of the organ, in addition, it can be a long stay on dialysis (if a person has an artificial kidney).
- Some genetic diseases. Among them, it is worth highlighting the Hippel-Lindau disease.
- Mechanical injury to an organ (for example, as a result of a fall from a height).
- Frequent contact with some chemical compounds that increase the risk of cancer of any type (organic solvents, asbestos, gasoline, cadmium and some others). Quite often, such a pathology is detected in people employed in hazardous industries.
- Irradiation.
- Prolonged or uncontrolled use of powerful drugs.
- Overweight. Excess weight itself does not affect oncology, but it can cause changes in hormonal levels (this has some effect on various pathologies).
- Abuse of alcohol, smoking, drugs. All these bad habits lead to rapid deterioration of the body and reduce immunity.
At the same time, it cannot be argued that this or that factor provokes the development of oncology 100% - it only increases the risk of pathology.
It is important to note that all representatives of the strong half of humanity are at risk, since the symptoms of kidney cancer in men occur much more often.
Stages of kidney cancer
The entire period of progression of oncological diseases is usually divided into 4 stages, which are called stages. The stage must be indicated when making a diagnosis, as this allows you to choose the best course of treatment
1 stage. This includes tumors, the size of which does not exceed a few cm, and the surrounding tissues and organs are not yet involved in the process. At this stage, the treatment gives the highest possible results. It is possible to completely get rid of the disease in 80-90% of cases. The difficulty lies precisely in the fact that during this period it is quite difficult to diagnose the disease, because no symptoms of kidney cancer bother a person. In most cases, oncology at the first stage is detected in patients who come to the clinic quite late.another occasion.
2 stage. It is customary to refer to this stage those malignant tumors of the kidneys, the size of which reaches more than 7 cm in diameter. Now the first symptoms of kidney cancer are already appearing, but they are not yet pronounced. Malignant cells are still localized within the organ and do not spread to neighboring tissues.
3 stage. It is at this stage in the development of the disease that most patients seek medical help. This is explained by the fact that in the third stage of kidney cancer, the symptoms begin to appear already quite actively. By this time, malignant cells have penetrated the nearest lymph nodes or circulatory system (usually the vena cava and renal veins).
4 stage. At this stage, the survival of patients does not exceed 10%. This is due to the large size of the tumor, the spread of the malignant process to the lymphatic system, liver, lungs, bone marrow and other organs. Treatment takes a long time, but statistics show that there is hope even in this case.
Symptoms and signs of kidney cancer
Symptomatology of this disease appears gradually. So, at stages 1 and 2 of oncology, symptoms may be completely absent. The only manifestation that may occur is discomfort in the lumbar region (kidneys). However, people do not take this symptom seriously and stop the pain with analgesics.
A little later, the characteristic symptoms of kidney cancer are added.
- Pain. Discomfort becomes pronounced. The pain is characterized as aching, dull, and increasingly difficult to stop with medication.
- Hematuria (bloodin the urine). This manifestation invariably accompanies many serious diseases, therefore, at the first sign, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Difficulty urinating. Tumor growth can partially block the ureter, which means that urine output from the kidneys is impaired
There are also a number of non-specific signs. The symptoms of kidney cancer in women and men can be similar to those of other diseases. The list of such symptoms can include:
- signs of vein thrombosis (this is possible in case of damage to the vena cava);
- Kinshburg syndrome;
- signs of anemia;
- shortness of breath;
- fatigue, fatigue;
- low or no appetite;
- drastic weight loss;
- signs of apathy, lethargy;
- temperature 37-38 or 38-39 degrees;
A common symptom of kidney cancer in men is the symptoms of varicocele (testicular enlargement). This can be explained by the fact that when the vena cava or renal vein is squeezed, the veins of the spermatic cord expand. Doctors consider this manifestation to be quite serious, since it most often indicates a large size of the tumor.
Some symptoms of kidney cancer are not taken seriously by women. So, sudden weight loss, fatigue, lack of appetite and apathy are often attributed to menopause, hormonal changes and severe stressful situations. That is why many women put off seeing a doctor for a long time.
In children, the course of the disease may notquite typical. So, there may not be obvious symptoms until the last, stage 4. After that, they appear immediately and very brightly. This makes diagnosis and treatment much more difficult.
The appearance of metastases
What are metastases? This term in medicine is called the secondary foci of the development of a cancerous tumor. They arise from those malignant cells that spread from the affected kidney.
Depending on which organs are involved in the process, characteristic features also differ.
- Symptoms of kidney cancer with metastases to the lungs (observed in 76% of cases) are accompanied by cough and hemoptysis.
- When the liver is damaged, one of the signs is a yellow tint of the skin, in addition, the patient complains of constant thirst and itching. The incidence of metastases in this organ is 41%.
- When pathological cells enter the bone tissue (43%), severe pains appear throughout the body, a feeling of ache, pathological fragility of bones.
- Metastases in the brain (about 11% of cases) cause numerous disorders of vision, hearing, memory, attention.
Diagnostic Methods
The effectiveness of the fight against this disease largely depends on the timeliness and correctness of the prescribed treatment. The symptoms of kidney cancer, the stage and location of the tumor, the patient's age and concomitant diagnoses - all this affects the choice of therapies. To get the clearest picture of the disease, the doctor prescribes several types of diagnostics.
Ultrasound. Ultrasound examination allows to determinethe current state of the kidney and the presence of a tumor in it. In addition, ultrasound allows you to determine the size and location of the neoplasm, the presence of metastases in nearby tissues
- MRI and CT provide a detailed view of metastasis throughout the body.
- Biopsy. This procedure involves taking a sample of cells from the tumor tissue. It is prescribed if there is doubt about the nature of the neoplasm.
- Scintigraphy. This term is understood as a radioisotope study of the kidneys, during which the state and performance of the organ, as well as the nature of the tumor, are revealed.
- Excretory urography. This type of diagnosis is now rarely used. It is an x-ray of the kidneys. This check can be very useful in the case of an organ-sparing operation, as it allows you to evaluate the functional feature of the damaged organ.
- Cytoscopy. Examination of the bladder with an endoscope. This diagnosis allows you to find out the exact cause of hematuria and exclude the presence of metastases in the bladder.
- Angiography. This method involves the use of a contrast agent to determine the condition of the vessels.
Surgical treatment
It is impossible to say in advance which method of treatment will be chosen in a particular case, as it depends on many features of the disease. One of the most effective methods is surgery, and it can be done in many ways.
Renal resection. Resection is one of the types of surgical operations. During it, ⅓ or half of the kidney affected by the tumor is removed. This approach is effective only if the patient consulted a doctor on time and did not ignore the early symptoms of kidney cancer. In other words, the tumor should be only a few centimeters in diameter.
Neprectomy. Under this surgical intervention understand the complete removal of the kidney. This gives a much greater chance of getting rid of a cancerous tumor. However, such an operation is possible only under one condition: the second kidney must be completely he althy.
Chemotherapy
If a malignant tumor has already metastasized, it will be impossible to get rid of it with a single operation. In this case, treatment with strong drugs is prescribed. The attending physician selects these medicines, while he determines the dosage and duration of treatment.
Chemotherapy drugs can be presented as tablets and solutions for intravenous infusion. The therapy consists of several courses, between which there are breaks of several weeks.
The essence of the treatment is that strong drugs destroy the structure of malignant cells, thereby blocking their growth and further division. Most often, chemotherapy courses are prescribed in conjunction with surgery.
Radiation therapy
If a patient (male or female) has symptomskidney cancers show stage 3 or 4, radiation therapy is often prescribed. Here, ionized radiation has a detrimental effect on the tumor, causing cancer cells to lose their ability to grow and divide.
Radiotherapy (radiotherapy) is rarely used as a standalone treatment. The maximum effect can be achieved by combining radiotherapy and surgery.
It is worth noting that radiation negatively affects not only pathological, but also he althy cells. This creates certain difficulties - patients are quite difficult to tolerate such therapy due to numerous side effects.
How to eat with cancer
Proper nutrition is of great importance even at the first symptoms of kidney cancer. Why? The fact is that with such a serious disease as oncology, the human body spends enormous forces to fight the disease. And they need to be corrected. This is especially true for stages 3 and 4 of the disease, when a cancer patient is treated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
There are a few things to keep in mind.
- Food should be taken in small portions 5-6 times a day.
- Fluid intake should be reduced to 1 liter per day. This will help reduce the burden on the kidneys.
- The diet must include the following foods: cereals, lean meat, fish, a large variety of fruits and vegetables.
- It will be necessary to completely exclude all junk food, namely: fried, fatty, smoked, spicy dishes, sweets, carbonated drinks.
Forecast
How long do women and men live with symptoms of kidney cancer? It is this question that worries people with a similar diagnosis. It should be said that just a couple of decades ago, oncology was considered a verdict at all. Things are different now.
If the treatment was started at stage 1, the prognosis can be called quite favorable. In about 80% of cases, a complete cure occurs.
Proper treatment at stage 2 allows you to get rid of the disease in 65-70% of cases.
Late detection of the disease (at stage 3) and immediately started therapy gives a chance in 40% of cases.
The least chance remains at the beginning of treatment at stage 4 (only 10%). However, even here we must not despair, but continue the struggle. As medicine has proven, the patient's mood and optimism play an important role in the treatment of serious diseases such as cancer (of any kind).
Can I protect myself from a kidney tumor
Doctors agree: any disease is much easier to prevent than to treat later. However, when it comes to oncology, then everything is not so simple. The main problem lies precisely in the fact that doctors do not know the exact causes of this pathology.
All doctors can advise to reduce risk is to reduce the number of harmful effects on the body. This is the rejection of bad habits, and a change of job in case of harmful production, and proper nutrition and the use of medicines exclusively under the supervision of a doctor.
However, the most important rule isregular medical examination. Of course, with the help of a blood and urine test, it will not be possible to detect oncology, however, certain overestimated indicators will require additional research.
