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Kidney cancer, general and medical indications

Kidney cancer, general and medical indications

Top Doctors
Top Doctors editorial
Top Doctors
Created by: Top Doctors editorial
Edited by: TOP DOCTORS® at 09/03/2019

There are several risk factors associated with kidney cancer such as smoking and obesity. Treatment depends on the stage at which the cancer is found. The more advanced you are the less likely healing

Dr. José Salcedo Gadú Campos

kidney cancer Kidneys are vital organs in our body because they are responsible for filtering the blood and clean of impurities the body as excess water, fat and waste, which become urine which leaves the kidneys through the ureters to the bladder.

Besides controlling blood pressure through the hormone renin and produce eritripoyetina hormone, which is related to the production of red blood cells.

The two kidneys are not essential to the body, in fact it was found that only need less than a kidney for optimal body functioning.

Diagnostic Methods

To diagnose kidney cancer must first be suspected and can be confirmed by a large number of tests such as a blood test, a complete blood count, biochemical blood tests and imaging tests such as ultrasound and computed tomography.

There are a number of risk factors associated with this disease. Smoking is one of them because it increases the risk of renal cell carcinoma as obesity.

Cadmium, herbicides and some organic solvents are also risk factors and a person can be exposed to these substances by their workplace.

African Americans, as well as Alaskan natives, are more likely to get kidney cancer than whites but do not know exactly the reason for this.

Techniques and treatment options

Treatment depends on the stage at which the cancer is found. Stage I to III is based on surgery whenever possible (this will be conditional upon the size of existing tumor).

If you are in Stage IV (when the cancer has spread outside the kidney) may be removed or treated with targeted therapies or therapies directed cytosine being the most used. It is noteworthy that when the cancer is in an advanced stage is very difficult to cure.

There are alternative techniques such as robotic surgery used to remove the tumor or the entire kidney when the situation demands. There is also the option of cryosurgery, in which tumor cells are destroyed by a freezing process.

After the operation

After a kidney removal surgery (either a part or in full) the patient will experience abdominal pain, bruising and redness, discomfort disappear within 3 to 6 weeks. Generally a cut for this procedure is performed 8 to 12 inches in the abdomen or, if performed laparoscopically 3 or 4 small cuts are made.

The patient is likely to need help from someone else to do your daily activities 1-2 weeks after the operation, also should not lift objects over 4.5 kg, make very demanding physical activities such as exercise or short walks.

Urology