The kidneys are a pair of organs that have several functions in our body, such as maintaining the balance of fluids and salts in the body, controlling blood pressure, intervening in the formation of red blood cells, among others. They are located on each side of the spine and they are essential for life.

There are several types of kidney cancer, the most common is clear cell renal carcinoma; there are other types such as papillary and chromophobe, among others.

Causes and risk factors

Many cancers appear spontaneously and are of unknown cause, however, some risk factors have been identified that can increase the chances of having kidney tumors.

• Smoking
• Obesity
• High blood pressure
• Family history of cancer
• Kidney failure under treatment for many years.

Symptoms:

In the early stages of kidney cancer, patients are often asymptomatic. Kidney cancer is often a finding on an imaging study performed for other reasons. Patients with advanced kidney cancer may have some of the following symptoms:

• Weight loss
• Hematuria (blood in the urine)
• Feeling of heaviness in the back 
• Fractures
• Difficulty breathing

Diagnosis:

Tests that diagnose kidney cancer include:

• Laboratory tests
• General urine test
  • Urine cytology
• Imaging tests
  • Ultrasound scan
  • Contrast-enhanced CT scan
  • Magnetic resonance imaging

The study of choice is contrast-enhanced CT scan, which can show the size and location of the tumor. In addition, CT is a study that greatly supports treatment planning and follow-up for patients who have already received treatment for kidney cancer.

Treatment of kidney cancer:

The type of treatment offered to patients with kidney cancer depends on:

• Tumor size and extent (stage)
• Patient age
• Health status of the patient
• Status of the patient's kidney function

Treatment options

Local treatments

• Radical nephrectomy
• Partial nephrectomy (nephron sparing surgery)
• Cryotherapy
• Radiofrequency ablation

Systemic treatments

• Targeted therapy (drugs)
• Immunotherapy
• Radiotherapy