Kidney Cancer

Smoking cigarettes, pipes and cigars is strongly associated with developing cancer of the kidney. Working around coke ovens may also increase people’s risk for developing this type of cancer.

The earliest sign of kidney cancer may be hematuria (blood in the urine). Although bloody or dark urine may be caused by conditions other than cancer, anyone who passes blood in the urine should immediately see a physician. Later symptoms of kidney cancer include a pain in the side or a lump in the abdomen.

Surgery is the primary treatment form kidney cancer that has not spread to other parts of the body. A radical nephrectomy, during which the kidney, portions of the surrounding tissue, and nearby lymph glands are removed, is the major type of surgery performed. The other kidney generally takes up the functions formerly shared by both

Radiotherapy consists of giving a dose of radiation to cancer cells which will result in their destruction with minimal damage to surrounding normal tissue.

Treatment of kidney cancer with anticancer agents, including hormones and drugs (chemotherapy) has not had good results.