Kidney cancer is a serious but usually treatable disease that results from a change in one of your kidney cells and subsequent uncontrolled growth. Like most cancers, the key to treatment success often lies in early detection. Symptoms of kidney cancer include flank pain, high blood pressure, and blood in the urine, and it can often be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. This article shall outline the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention so that one may get a glimpse into the details regarding kidney cancer.

Kidney Cancer Overview

Kidney cancer, also known scientifically as renal cancer, is a type of cancer that results from abnormal growth of the cells in the kidneys, which may develop into a lump or tumor. Although some tumors are usually benign, malignant tumors can extend into other organs; this is what is called metastasis. It is mainly characterized by the disease in adults, although it may affect children in certain kinds like a Wilms tumor.

What Causes Kidney Cancer?

The exact renal cancer cause is not known, but the experts have discovered several risk factors, which may predispose one to the disease. Such risk factors include:

• Smoking: One of the biggest contributors to kidney cancer is tobacco use. The more one smokes over time, the greater the risk.
• Obesity: Overweight conditions increase the risk due to resultant hormonal changes and inflammatory processes.
• Hypertension has often been linked with an increased risk for renal cancer.
• Family History: Renal cancer can be regarded as running in the family due to which certain people are prone to this malignancy either due to similar genetic alterations or other environmental factors.
• Long-term Dialysis: Individuals with kidney failure who need to undergo long-term dialysis have a higher risk for renal cancer.
• Genetic Alterations: Certain genetic alterations can predispose an individual for the development of renal cancers.
• Exposure to Radiation: People who have undergone radiation therapy in the treatment of other types of cancer have a small increased risk for kidney cancer.
• Genetic Disorders: Several genetic disorders predispose people to kidney cancer. These include von Hippel-Lindau disease and tuberous sclerosis complex.

Types of Kidney Cancer

There are several types of kidney cancer, each with unique features. Knowing these distinctions is essential to treating it properly.
The most common kind, renal cell carcinoma accounts for about 85% of all renal cancers. In most cases, one kidney develops a single RCC tumour; both kidneys are involved rarely.

• Transitional Cell Carcinoma: This type of tumour develops in the renal pelvis, where the kidney attaches to the ureter, and accounts for about 6-7% of renal cancers.
• Renal Sarcoma: This is the rarest type and it originates in the connective tissues of the kidneys. Though it is rather uncommon, if it is left unreated, it can spread to other organs.
• Wilms Tumor: This usually occurs in children and comprises about 5% of the total number of kidney cancer cases. It is usually curable as most cases are diagnosed at an early stage, though treatment is most effective when the cancer is detected at an early stage.

Symptoms of Kidney Cancer

In their early stages, kidney cancers seldom cause symptoms and therefore can only be diagnosed by using medical tests. As the tumour grows, common symptoms of kidney cancer include the following:

• Blood in Urine: Blood may appear in the urine that one sees or under the microscope.
• Flank Pain: Pain in the lower back or side may denote tumour growth.
• Unexplained Weight Loss: The incidence of rapid or unexplained weight loss may be a sign of kidney cancer.
•  Tiredness and Fatigue: The growth of tumour masses leading to cancer can be associated with progressive fatigue. Fever: Sometimes, kidney cancer is accompanied by low-grade fever continuously. 
• Anaemia: A reduction in red blood cells may denote kidney dysfunction associated with cancer. 
• High Blood Pressure: Uncontrolled hypertension may be both a symptom and a risk factor.
• Abdominal Masses or Lumps: An abdominal mass or lump in the region of the kidney can be palpable by physical examination.

How to Diagnose Kidney Cancer

To diagnose renal cancer, physicians first conduct a thorough history and physical examination. When kidney cancer is suspected, doctors may advise one or more of the following tests for diagnosis:

• Urinalysis: This test is conducted to detect the presence of blood or atypical cells in the urine.
• Blood Tests: Blood tests can detect anaemia, an electrolyte abnormality, or impaired kidney function.
• Imaging Scans: CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasounds produce good pictures of the kidneys, and doctors can detect tumour masses.
• Biopsy: A needle biopsy is sometimes performed to take a tissue sample. Kidney biopsies are not always diagnostic but can give significant information about the tumour.

Staging Kidney Cancer

Staging refers to the extent of the spread of the cancer. The staging of kidney cancer is essential in the method of treatment to be instituted. There are four stages of kidney cancer, which include: The tumour is confined to the kidney and measures 7 centimetres or less.

• Stage II: The tumour is more than 7 centimetres but confined to the kidney.
• Stage III: Cancer has spread to surrounding tissues or lymph nodes but not to distant organs.
• Stage IV: The tumour has spread to more distant parts of the body such as the lungs, bones, or liver.
  Grading the tumour is another venue for determining the aggressiveness of the cancerous cells. This is a description of a tumour based on the appearance of tumour cells in relationship to normal cells of the same tissue type under the microscope.

Treatment Options for Kidney Cancer

The form of the treatment also depends on the kind and stage of the cancer, and the overall health of the patient. Thus, the primary treatments include surgery, ablation therapies, radiation, targeted drug therapies, immunotherapies, and chemotherapy.
Surgical Treatments

Partial Nephrectomy: Surgeons remove only the portion of the kidney that contains the tumour, leaving the rest of the organ intact.
In this, the entire kidney is removed along with surrounding tissues. Lymph nodes around it may also be removed.
Surgery allows the best opportunity for cure in many patients, particularly for those whose disease is confined to early stages.

Ablation Therapies

Ablation therapies are modes of destroying cancerous tissues without resorting to surgery and are thus often given for patients who cannot undergo surgery.

• Cryoablation: This is the process where the cancer cells are frozen using cold gas inserted via a needle.
• Radiofrequency Ablation: Cancer cells are heated and destroyed using high-energy radio waves.

Radiation Therapy

In cases when surgery isn't an option, radiation therapy might be administered, or it may also be used to relieve symptoms of advanced kidney cancer. The treatment involves the use of high-energy beams to target and destroy cancer cells.

Targeted Drug Therapy

Targeted therapies interfere with proteins or enzymes that are important for the development of cancer cells. Generally speaking, they are used in cases when the disease has already spread or it is impossible to surgically remove the tumour. If blood vessel formation is blocked, the growth of the tumour is impeded; if the growth of cancer cells is blocked, the disease cannot progress as fast.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy increases the ability of the body's immune system to detect and target cancerous cells. This may be used after surgery or by itself for more advanced diseases.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is usually not used in the case of kidney cancer, though it may be tried if other forms of treatment are not successful. The drugs used in chemotherapy kill the rapidly multiplying cells of cancer.

Prognosis and Outlook

Prognosis depends on the time of diagnosis, that is, the stage at which the cancer was diagnosed. Kidney cancer is usually treatable and can be cured with surgery if diagnosed in its early stages. Unfortunately, the prognosis worsens as the cancer progresses to a more advanced stage and other organs. Follow-up and surveillance are really important to pick up recurrence or metastasis.

Preventing Kidney Cancer

Though kidney cancer might not be totally prevented, certain changes can be made in one's lifestyle to reduce the risk:

• Quit Smoking: This is one of the most powerful ways to reduce the risk of renal cancer.
• Right Weight: Obesity contributes to the risk, and so a healthy diet and active exercise are necessary.
• Control Blood Pressure: Hypertension can be a major risk factor, and hence controlling it by way of life modifications or medication may help.
• Manage the chronic conditions: The risk may be higher due to Diabetes and long-term kidney diseases; thus, management of the disorders is necessary.

Living with Kidney Cancer

A diagnosis of kidney cancer brings its own emotional and physical challenges. Most patients find their support groups, counselling, and other resources very helpful in managing the psychological and emotional impact of dealing with cancer. There is a great need for close communication with one's healthcare provider about such concerns related to side effects, recovery, and quality of life to come up with a personalized treatment plan.

Conclusion: The Importance of Early Detection and Personalized Treatment

Kidney cancer is an insidious yet quite manageable condition. Ideal scenarios involve early-stage detection with appropriate and timely treatment. Over time, many improvements have been made in surgical techniques, drug therapies, and immunotherapies, which have increased the great outcomes seen in a multitude of cases. Regular screening and attention to risk factors can improve early detection and possibly reduce the incidence of kidney cancer.
It is very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, avoid known risk factors such as smoking, and seek medical advice at the onset of symptoms to manage kidney cancer with more favourable long-term outcomes. As research and development concerning treatment options continue, prospects are bright for patients with diagnoses of kidney cancer.