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Treatment Options for Renal Cell Cancer

Cancer is a disease in which cells multiply uncontrollably in the body. Cancer tumors and are of two types—malignant (cancerous) and benign (non-cancerous). These malignant cancerous cells are capable of spreading and affecting other parts of the body. There are many factors such as genetic, environmental, and dietary factors that could lead one to develop cancer. There are around 200 types of cancers and renal cell cancer is one of them. In renal cell cancer, or RCC, the cancer cells form in tubules of the kidney. The primary causes of RCC are smoking and having renal diseases. The common symptoms of renal cancer noted are blood in urine and a lump in the abdomen. In the following, a brief overview of renal cell cancer and its treatment options have been given.

Renal cell cancer has four stages:

Stage I – The tumor is confirmed and measures less than 7 cms.
Stage II – The tumor is bigger than 7 cms but is still limited to the kidneys.
Stage III – The tumor has started to spread outside the kidney to the adrenal gland, a major vein nearby or may even have spread to one nearby lymph nodes.
Stage IV – The tumor has spread to nearby tissues and organs, and the nearby lymph nodes contain cancer cells.

Treatment options for renal cell cancer
Renal cell cancer treatment depends on various factors like the type of cancer, stage, the patient’s current medical condition and overall health, and possible side effects of the recommended treatment.

Surgery
Nephrectomy, or surgery to remove the infected kidney, is mostly preferred by doctors as it can completely cure cancer at the earlier stages. There are three types of nephrectomy:

Partial nephrectomy – The procedure to remove cancer cells within the kidney and the surrounding tissues is known as partial nephrectomy. The main objective of this surgery is to remove only the tumor and leave all the normal tissue as it is. This procedure is generally recommended for patients who have one damaged kidney due to any disease or tumor in both kidneys.
Radical nephrectomy – In this procedure, the entire kidney, along with the surrounding tissues, the adrenal gland, and nearby lymph nodes are usually removed. It is carried out by a surgeon by making a large incision around the affected kidney and removing the whole kidney and surrounding tissues.
Laparoscopic or Keyhole surgery – Laparoscopic surgery is conducted on patients who have a medical condition in which they cannot undergo open surgeries. This surgery is carried out by creating small incisions in the abdomen and a thin tube attached with a camera is inserted through one of the incisions. Other devices are inserted through various other incisions and part or whole kidney containing tumor is removed.

There are other treatment options available for renal cell cancer as well. Some of such ways include the following:

Cryotherapy – The tumor is frozen in this procedure. It is carried out by passing Argon gas or liquid nitrogen through fine needles which are then inserted into the skin to the tumor.
Radiofrequency ablation – This renal cell cancer treatment option is carried out by inserting thin needles into the skin to the tumor and passing electric current to destroy the cancer cells.
High intensity focused ultrasound – In this treatment, strong beams of sound are passed into the tumor, which heats up the cancer cells and destroys them.
Radiation therapy – It is one of the most effective renal cell cancer treatment options involving the use of high energy X-rays or other radiation directed at the area containing the tumor so as to destroy most cells or keep them from growing. It is carried out either by an external radiation therapy using a device to send radiation into the body or internal radiation therapy using radioactive materials closed in needles, wires, or catheters placed directly into the tumor.
Chemotherapy – It is the most common renal cell cancer treatment option, in which medicines are used to stop the growth of cancer cells. Through systematic chemotherapy, the medicines, when taken orally or injected into the vein, enter the bloodstream and reaches the tumor. Regional chemotherapy, on the other hand, involves medicines that affect cancer cells in particular areas and are directly placed into the cerebrospinal fluid, an organ, or a body cavity.
Biological therapy – Also known as immunotherapy, this technique treats patients by improving their immune system to fight cancer. Certain antibodies, made by the body or in the lab, are included in this treatment.
Targeted therapy – This renal cell cancer treatment uses medicines to attack certain cancer cells without damaging normal cells. Antiangiogenic agents prevent blood vessels from forming cancer, resulting in shrinking or decay of the tumor. Monoclonal antibodies, which are made from single immune system cells, are a type of antiangiogenic agent which identifies and kills cancer cells and hinder their growth.

It is important to undergo effective treatment for renal cell cancer as soon as the cancer is diagnosed. Medical professionals must be consulted before chalking out any plan regarding the treatment and other precautionary steps in order to help the patient with cancer to manage the condition effectively.

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