Welcome to the kidney cancer page!

Whether you or someone you love has kidney cancer, you've come to the right place!

Bookmark us now for the latest infomation on kidney cancer research, kidney cancer remedies, kidney cancer risk, kidney cancer prevention, screening, symptoms, diagnois, treatment and support for all people that have kidney cancer

Kidney Cancer Overview

What Is Kidney Cancer?

Kidney cancer is a disease in which cancerous cells develop in the tissues of the kidney. Kidney cancer occurs when cells in the kidney grow out of control, clump together and form a malignant tumor.

The kidneys are two large, bean-shaped organs -- one located to the left, and the other to the right of the backbone. Kidney cancer may also be referred to as renal cancer.

There are two main types of primary kidney cancer in adults:

1. renal cell cancer
2. transitional cell cancer

Symptoms

* Blood in the urine
* Flank pain on one or both sides
* Excessive urination at night
* Abdominal pain or tenderness

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease include the following:

* Nail abnormalities
* Painful menstruation
* Joint pain
* Drowsiness
* High blood pressure

Treatment

Currently, no treatment can prevent the cysts from forming or enlarging. Treatment goals are the reduction of symptoms and prevention of complications.

Hypertension may be difficult to control, but control of it is the most important aspect of treatment. Treatment may include antihypertensive and/or diuretic medications, low-salt diet, or other treatments.

Any urinary tract infection should be treated promptly with appropriate antibiotics.

Any symptoms of anemia may be treated with iron and other supplements, erythropoietin administration, or blood transfusion.

Surgical or radiologic drainage of cysts may be indicated because of pain, bleeding, infection, or obstruction. (There are usually too many cysts to make removal a feasible alternative.)

Surgical removal of one or both kidneys may be required. Treatment of end-stage kidney disease may include kidney dialysis or kidney transplantation.

Expectations (prognosis)

Polycystic kidney disease progresses slowly but persistently. Medical treatment may provide relief of symptoms for many years. Eventual end-stage kidney failure is common.

The absence of systemic disease or autoimmune disease makes people with polycystic kidney disease good candidates for kidney transplantation.





Kidney Cancer News

Glowing dye improves cancer removal in kidney
 4 Jun 2007 at 10:00pm
A new way to provide clear images of cancerous tumors in the kidney during surgery promises to help physicians preserve as much kidney function as possible while still removing all the malignant tissue -- a significant advance as doctors discover that saving as much healthy kidney tissue as possible is crucial for the future health of cancer patients.
Reactivating a critical gene lost in kidney cancer reduces tumor growth
 14 Aug 2007 at 10:00pm
Researchers at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, have found that a key gene is often "silenced" in clear cell renal cell carcinoma, the most common type of kidney cancer, and when they restored that gene in human kidney cancer cells in culture and animal experiments, tumors stopped growing and many disappeared.
Drug fends off kidney cancer progression
 15 May 2008 at 10:00pm
(Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center) New data from an international, multicenter Phase III clinical trial has found that the experimental targeted therapy everolimus (RAD001) significantly delays cancer progression in patients with metastatic kidney cancer whose disease had worsened on other treatments.
Better Outlook for Kidney Cancer
 21 Dec 2007 at 6:49am
Study: Combined with interferon, the tumor-choking drug Avastin doubles progression-free survival in metastatic kidney cancer.
Critical Gene Lost In Kidney Cancer Reactivated To Reduce Future Tumor Growth, Implications For Other Cancers
 19 Aug 2007 at 5:00pm
Researchers at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, have found that a key gene is often "silenced" in clear cell renal cell carcinoma, the most common type of kidney cancer, and when they restored that gene in human kidney cancer cells in culture and animal experiments, tumors stopped growing and many disappeared. [click link for full article]
FDA Approves Kidney Cancer Drug
 31 May 2007 at 2:13am
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Torisel for the treatment of the advanced kidney cancer known as renal cell carcinoma.
Kidney cancer drug attacks a major type of acute myeloid leukemia
 28 Jan 2008 at 10:00pm
A drug used to treat kidney cancer also targets a genetic mutation active in about one third of patients with acute myeloid leukemia, the most common and lethal form of adult leukemia, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report in the Jan. 29 edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Where Science Meets Policy: Kidney Cancer Patient Reported Outcome Instrument Focuses On Likely Regulatory Label
 11 May 2007 at 1:00pm
In the July/August 2007 issue of Value in Health, Cella and colleagues report on a new questionnaire to measure disease-related symptoms of kidney cancer. [click link for full article]
Cryoablation continues to show good results for kidney cancer patients
 24 Nov 2007 at 10:00pm
A review of 62 Mayo Clinic patients who underwent cryoablation to treat cancerous kidney tumors shows that the patients are cancer free for up to two and a half years after having had the procedure.
Kidney cancer surgery often determined by surgeons' practice style, not medical factors
 9 Mar 2008 at 10:00pm
A new study reveals that the type of surgery a patient with kidney cancer receives depends more on the surgeon's preference than on the patient's tumor size, demographic characteristics, or general medical health.
Overall Decrease In Kidney Cancer Deaths In Europe
 12 Apr 2008 at 11:00am
Overall deaths from kidney cancer have now fallen across Europe after peaking in the early 1990s, according to a detailed analysis of mortality rates for 32 countries published in the urology journal BJU International.The review is based on official death records collated by the World Health Organization from 1984 to 2004.
Promising Results For New Kidney Cancer Drug
 30 Oct 2007 at 3:00am
A phase II trial on axitinib, a new experimental drug for treating patients with cytokine-refractory, metastatic kidney cancer who have a poor response to more traditional drugs has shown promising results according to a new study published in the The Lancet Oncology. [click link for full article]
HIV and Kidney Transplant Patients At Much Greater Risk Of Cancer
 10 Jul 2007 at 12:00pm
HIV/AIDS and kidney transplant patients are at much greater risk of contracting 20 different types of cancer than the general population, according to a land mark paper in The Lancet. [click link for full article]
Kidney cancer deaths show overall decrease in Europe
 8 Apr 2008 at 10:00pm
Male kidney cancer deaths have fallen by 13 percent across Europe since they peaked in the early 1990s and women have benefited from a 17 percent reduction. But the study of 32 countries, based on data from the World Health Organization, has revealed wide variations between countries.
Kidney And Liver Cancer Drug Raises High Blood Pressure Risk
 25 Jan 2008 at 8:00am
Sorafenib, a new anti tumour (antineoplastic) drug marketed by Bayer under the brand Nexavar, and used to treat patients with advanced kidney or liver cancer, has been found to increase significantly the risk of developing high blood pressure.