# Kidney Cancer --- **Kidney cancer** is [[cancer]] of the [[kidneys]]. It's relatively rare (only about 5% of all tumors are kidney cancers) but quite dangerous. Because the clinical manifestations are so vague, it's often well advanced by the time of diagnosis. [[Nephroblastoma]] is a rare type of kidney tumor that arises from the cells of immature kidneys, making it more common in children. ## Risk Factors - smoking - obesity - AMAB people are at higher risk - occupational exposure to certain chemicals - heavy metals - herbicides - organic solvents - some meds - [[diuretics]] - antihypertensives ## Signs & Symptoms The signs and symptoms of kidney cancer usually do not arise until it has progressed. Even then as the tumor grows the signs and symptoms are vague and generalized, like weight loss, weakness or anemia. We might see: - hematuria - flank pain - palpable mass ## Complications About 25% of patients already have metastases at the time of their diagnosis. The most common areas to find mets are the lungs, bone, liver, brain and the other kidney. ## Diagnostic Tests CT, MRI, biopsy ## Treatment Chemotherapy and radiation often don't really work well on these cancers, so are typically a treatment of last resort. - Surgical - [[nephrectomy]] - relatively common treatment for this - less invasive methods are things like - cryotherapy - ablation of the tumor using radio or microwaves - Medical - immunotherapy - new and huge development for cancer treatment - uses the body's own existing [[immune system]] and boosts it so it can better identify and destroy solid tumor cancers. ___