The typical three major symptoms of kidney cancer

Written by Zou De Bo
Urology
Updated on September 08, 2024
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The typical three major symptoms of kidney cancer are hematuria, pain, and a mass. If these three symptoms appear, it generally indicates that the condition has reached an advanced stage, at which point the patient may have missed the optimal timing for treatment. Surgery at this stage may also be challenging to perform completely. Therefore, early detection and treatment are essential. The five-year survival rate after kidney cancer surgery is as high as 97% for many people. Thus, overall, the prognosis for kidney cancer is relatively good. However, the best treatment approach remains surgery, including nephron-sparing surgery and radical nephrectomy, depending on the size of the tumor. Generally, for tumors smaller than four centimeters, nephron-sparing treatment can be adopted.

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Written by Wang Jian
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Treatment Plans for Renal Cancer

The treatment principles for kidney cancer vary depending on the stage of the cancer. For localized or locally advanced kidney cancer, surgical treatment is primarily used. For advanced kidney cancer, a comprehensive medical treatment approach is mainly used. Surgical treatment is typically the first choice for treating kidney cancer and is currently recognized as a curative method. In early stages, kidney-sparing surgery or radical nephrectomy can be performed using either laparoscopic or open surgery. For mid to late-stage kidney cancer patients, radical nephrectomy is commonly performed as an open surgery. For advanced kidney cancer, treatment primarily involves medical management, which may include surgical removal of the affected kidney. Additionally, treatments can be supplemented with immunotherapy or targeted therapy to improve treatment efficacy. Therefore, different stages of kidney cancer require different treatment plans.

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Written by Zou De Bo
Urology
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Dietary precautions for renal cancer

Kidney cancer patients should be cautious with their diet and there are three types of food they should absolutely avoid: First, foods high in salt. Kidney cancer patients often suffer from severe kidney dysfunction, leading to edema. Consuming salty foods can increase the body's sodium content, causing sodium retention which is not metabolized in time, exacerbating the swelling. Second, high-fat foods. Excessive fat can also lead to weight gain, and high body fat can burden the kidneys. Third, foods high in potassium. With kidney cancer, patients often have inadequate kidney function and produce less urine, leading to high levels of potassium in the body. Consuming foods high in potassium can further increase blood potassium levels. Therefore, it's advisable for kidney cancer patients to avoid fruits and vegetables high in potassium.

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Radiology
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Ultrasound manifestation of renal cancer

Kidney cancer is the most common type of kidney malignancy. Pathologically, it is mainly divided into clear cell renal cell carcinoma, chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, papillary renal carcinoma, and collecting duct carcinoma, with clear cell renal cell carcinoma being the most common. Ultrasonographically, it usually appears as round or oval masses, varying in size but generally around 2-4 cm, exhibiting low to medium echo patterns. If the tumor is larger, greater than 5 cm, it may show changes in mixed echo patterns due to possible internal bleeding or cystic changes when the tumor is large. When kidney cancer is suspected on ultrasound, it is best to further proceed with enhanced MRI or enhanced CT scanning.

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Written by Zeng Zhong
Urology
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Is vomiting severe in renal cancer?

Patients with kidney cancer who experience vomiting are facing a serious situation because nausea and vomiting are common symptoms among late-stage cancer patients and are often more distressing than the pain from cancer itself. Nausea and vomiting may be side effects of treatment, or they might be caused by cancer invading the digestive and nervous systems. People who are ill often feel anxious, which is also one of the reasons causing vomiting. Cancer patients need to pay extra attention to their diet, as this can greatly aid their treatment. In daily life, it is beneficial to consume more fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, focusing on light meals to ensure a balanced diet and supplement various nutrients.

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Written by Li Yuan Wei
Urology
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What are the characteristics of hematuria in renal cancer?

What we commonly refer to as kidney cancer actually includes two aspects. One is renal cell carcinoma, and the other is renal pelvis cancer or ureteral cancer. The characteristics of hematuria are different in these two types. Renal cell carcinoma, simply understood, grows inside the kidney and is not connected with urine. Only when the kidney tumor grows large enough to breach the kidney or renal pelvis will the tumor rupture and bleed, causing hematuria. This generally occurs in the middle to late stages of kidney cancer. On the other hand, renal pelvis cancer or ureteral cancer exhibits intermittent hematuria in the early stages without significant symptoms, but as it progresses to the middle and late stages, symptoms like kidney hydronephrosis and hematuria slowly appear. When diagnosing these conditions, any occurrence of hematuria must be investigated to determine the cause. Initial screening can be done using urinary system ultrasound, urinalysis, or routine urine tests. More precise methods include enhanced CT or MRI of the urinary system, which facilitate easier diagnosis.