Renal+cell+carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma, RCC also known as Hypernephroma is a type of kidney cancer that is located at the lining of the proximal convoluted tubule, it is one of the common kidney cancers.

The exact cause of the renal cell carcinoma is not yet determined yet, but a number of different factor seems to contribute to the cause of this disease. Factor includes the following: -Occupational exposure to petroleum products, heavy metals, solvents, coke-oven emissions, or asbestos
 * Cigarette smoking double the risk of renal cell cancer
 * Obesity us a risk factor. As the body weight increases, so does the risk of having RCC, it is especially true for females

-Cystic kidney disease associated with chronic (long-term) renal insufficiency

-Cystic changes in the kidney and renal dialysis

-Tuberous sclerosis

-Von Hippel-Lindau disease, an inherited disease associated with several cancers

-Hereditary renal cancer

-Associated malignacy

A wide range of symptoms can be present with renal carcinoma depending on which areas of the body have been affected.The classic triad is hematuria(blood in the urine), flank pain and an abdominal mass. This triad only occurs in 10-15% of cases, and is generally indicative of more advanced disease. Today, the majority of renal tumors are asymptomatic and are detected incidentally on imaging, usually for an unrelated cause.

Patients may also experience the following symptoms:
 * Abnormal urine color (dark, rusty, or brown) due to blood in the urine found in 60% of cases)
 * Loin pain (found in 40% of cases)
 * Abdominal mass (25% of cases)
 * Malaise, weight loss or anorexia (30% of cases)
 * Polycythemia (5% of cases)
 * Anaemia resulting from depression of erythropoietin(30% of cases) Also, there may be erythrocytosis due to increased erythropoietin secretion.
 * The presenting symptom may be due to metastatic disease, such as a pathologic fracture of the hip due to a metastasis to the bone
 * Vaircocele, the enlargement of one testicle, usually on the left (2% of cases). This is due to blockage of the left testicular vein by tumor invasion of the left renal vein; this typically does not occur on the right as the right gonadal vein drains directly into the inferior vena cava.
 * Vision abnormalities
 * Pallor or plethora
 * Excessive hair growth (females)
 * Constipation
 * Hypertension (high blood pressure) resulting from secretion of renin by the tumour (30% of cases)
 * Elevated calcium levels
 * Night Sweats
 * Severe Weight Loss
 * Recurrent fevers which occur in 9% of the patients
 * Cold inteolerance
 * Back pain
 * Chronic fatigue
 * Leg and ankle swelling
 * Loss of appetite

Five types of standard treatment are used: Surgery to remove part or all of the kis often kidney used to treat renal cell cancer. The following types of surgery may be used: Radiation therapy Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy [|x-rays] or other types of [|radiation] to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. There are two types of radiation therapy. [|External radiation therapy] uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. [|Internal radiation therapy] uses a [|radioactive] substance sealed in needles, [|seeds], wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer. The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and [|stage] of the cancer being treated. Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses [|drugs] to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a [|vein] or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body ( [|systemic chemotherapy] ). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the [|cerebrospinal fluid], an [|organ] , or a body [|cavity] such as the [|abdomen] , the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas ( [|regional chemotherapy] ). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated. Biologic therapy [|Biologic therapy] is a treatment that uses the patient's [|immune system] to fight cancer. Substances made by the body or made in a laboratory are used to boost, direct, or restore the body's natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is also called biotherapy or immunotherapy. Targeted therapy Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells. Targeted therapy with [|antiangiogenic] agents are used to treat [|advanced] renal cell cancer. Antiangiogenic agents keep [|blood vessels] from forming in a tumor, causing the tumor to starve and stop growing or to shrink. [|Monoclonal antibodies] and [|kinase] inhibitors are two types of antiangiogenic agents used to treat renal cell cancer.
 * [|Partial nephrectomy] : A surgical procedure to remove the cancer within the kidney and some of the [|tissue] around it. A partial nephrectomy may be done to prevent loss of kidney function when the other kidney is damaged or has already been removed.
 * [|Simple nephrectomy] : A surgical procedure to remove the kidney only.
 * [|Radical nephrectomy] : A surgical procedure to remove the kidney, the [|adrenal gland], surrounding tissue, and, usually, nearby [|lymph nodes].

[] [] http://www.renalcarcinoma.net/ [|ISBN] [|0-7020-2763-4]. http://www.cancercompass.com/renal-cell-cancer-information/symptoms.htm/ http://www.omnimedicalsearch.com/conditions-diseases/renal-cell-carcinoma-symptoms.html http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000516.htm