Today, Thursday 20th June 2024 is World Kidney Cancer Day, you may find the following article helpful.
If you are a family member or struggling with the cancer diagnosis, please get in touch with the Sligo Cancer Support Centre. You will find a caring and dedicated team offering you and your family one to one support, counselling, holistic therapies, various workshops and information in a peaceful and tranquil environment.
This year the theme is ‘listening’.
Being listened to: Highlighting the benefits of shared decision making.
If you don’t feel listened to: Helping patients feel empowered to seek a second opinion.
Choosing who you listen to: Creating awareness around misinformation and how to check if sources are reliable.
Let’s have a closer look at what it is and how you can deal with it.
Some numbers and facts
- About 650 people are diagnosed with kidney cancer each year in Ireland
- It is more common in people aged over 40.
- Kidney cancer can be treated with surgery, thermal ablation, radiotherapy, targeted therapies and arterial embolisation.
What is kidney cancer?
Kidney cancer is when kidney cancer cells change and grow in an abnormal way. A group of these cancer cells can form a tumour. Sometimes more than one tumour can develop.
Usually only one kidney is affected. As the cancer grows it can affect how your kidney works and can cause problems. In most cases, the cancer is found before it has spread to other organs.
Symptoms of kidney cancer
- Blood in your urine – the blood may not be there all the time but might come and go
- A lump in the kidney area
- Painful spasms in your kidney tubes or bladder
- A dull pain in your side
- High temperatures and night sweats
- Tiredness
- Weight loss
A lot of these can be caused by other common conditions. For example, a urine infection, kidney stones or an enlarged prostate gland.
It’s still important to go to the GP and get any unusual changes checked out.
Can I be screened for kidney cancer?
Testing for kidney cancer when you have no symptoms is called screening. There is no national kidney cancer screening programme in Ireland at present. You should talk to your GP if you’re worried about kidney cancer.
Diagnosing kidney cancer
Your family doctor (GP) will talk to you about your symptoms and may do urine and blood tests. But your GP will refer you to hospital if they think you need more tests.
Tests you might have include:
- A urine sample check: Testing your urine to see if your symptoms are being caused by an infection. If you have cancer there may be cancer cells in your urine
- Blood tests: To check your general health
- Cytoscopy: A small tube with a light passed into your bladder to look at the bladder lining. This may show the reason for any blood in your urine
- CT scan: A special type of X-ray to give a picture of the tissues inside your body
- MRI scan: A scan that uses magnetic energy and radio waves to build up a picture of the tissues inside your body
- Ultrasound scan: A device like a microphone passed over your tummy to give a picture of your kidney, bladder and nearby organs. It can show any abnormal changes
For more information follow this link : https://www.cancer.ie/cancer-information-and-support/cancer-types/kidney-cancer
How is kidney cancer treated?
About 9 out of 10 kidney cancers are renal cell cancer (RCC) – also known as renal cell adenocarcinoma or clear cell renal cell cancer. Although the following treatment is mostly for renal cell cancer, talk to your team to find out more about other, less common kidney cancers as the tests and treatment may not be the same.
Surgery
Surgery is the main treatment for kidney cancer that hasn’t spread. Surgery aims to remove the tumour. Early-stage kidney cancer is often cured by surgery alone.
Surveillance
This means monitoring abnormal areas like very small lumps in your kidney with regular CT scans. Often these lumps (called small renal masses by doctors) need no treatment and cause you no symptoms or harm.
Your doctor will talk to you about surveillance if they think it is the best option for you. Additionally, surveillance may also be recommended if you have other medical conditions that mean it is better for you to avoid surgery.
Other treatments
If surgery is not recommended or possible for you, your doctor may discuss one of the treatments below:
Thermal ablation
This treatment uses heat to destroy the cancer cells. It can be used for certain types of small kidney tumours, or if you are not fit for surgery. It is sometimes used to help symptoms from advanced kidney cancers too.
Targeted therapies
There are many different types of targeted therapies. In kidney cancer these are drugs that work by stopping the cancer from making new blood vessels.
Radiotherapy
This treatment uses high-energy waves to kill cancer cells.
Embolisation
This treatment can be used to block the flow of blood to kidney cancer. It may be used to help control bleeding in more advanced cancer. Sometimes it is used before surgery.
Will I get side-effects?
The type of side-effects you get will depend on the type of treatment, the dose, the duration and your own general health.
Ask your doctor or nurse about any possible side-effects before your treatment starts. You can read about the different treatments to find out more about possible side-effects. By clicking on this link you will find more information about tips on managing symptoms and side-effects during and after cancer treatment: https://www.cancer.ie/cancer-information-and-support/cancer-information/cancer-treatments-and-side-effects/coping-with-side-effects
Treating kidney cancer that has spread (metastatic kidney cancer)
If your cancer has spread, treatment is usually to try to control the cancer rather than to cure it. Targeted therapy drugs are often used to keep metastatic kidney cancer under control. Or you may have arterial embolisation or radiotherapy to relieve symptoms. You may also have surgery.
For more information you can follow this link : https://www.cancer.ie/cancer-information-and-support/cancer-types/kidney-cancer/how-is-kidney-cancer-treated
Find Support
- Reach the online community by clicking on this link: https://www.cancer.ie/enquiry-form
- Freephone 1800 200 700 during weekdays from 9am-5pm.
- By email supportline@irishcancer.ie.
Sources
https://www.cancer.ie/cancer-information-and-support/cancer-types/kidney-cancer