Kidney cancer care

The American Cancer Society estimates that a person's lifetime risk of getting kidney cancer is 1 in 75, with more men getting it than women. The rate of new kidney cancer diagnoses has risen because it is being detected more frequently through CT scans. When caught early, it is treatable, and the number of survivors in remission has grown as treatment advances.

At Advocate Health Care, we offer a mix of physician expertise, advanced tools, and treatment options to diagnose and treat kidney cancer. Patients receive a comprehensive, tailored treatment plan developed by our multidisciplinary cancer team.

Find an Advocate Cancer Institute near you.

About kidney cancer

Kidney cancer forms when the cells of the kidneys mutate and form a tumor. Sometimes multiple tumors can form, break off, and migrate to different parts of the body. There are two main types of kidney cancer:

• Renal cell carcinoma (RCC): RCC is defined by four types: clear-cell, papillary, chromophobe, sarcomatoid and rhabdoid. This form of kidney cancer is one of the most common and often starts as a single tumor in one kidney, but it can affect both your kidneys and spread (metastasize) to other organs. All types of RCC begin in the lining of tiny filtering tubes inside the kidneys called nephrons.
• Upper tract urothelial carcinoma: This form of kidney cancer usually begins in the area where a ureter connects to the main part of a kidney (called the renal pelvis). It accounts for about 6 to 7% of all kidney cancers and can also grow in your ureters or bladder. These tumors are known as transitional cell cancers because they look similar to bladder cancer under a microscope and are often treated in similar ways.

Researchers aren’t sure exactly what causes kidney cancer, but there are some known risk factors:

• Older age
• Smoking
• Obesity
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Kidney failure treatment (dialysis)
• Inherited syndromes like von Hippel-Lindau, Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis
• Family history of kidney cancer
• Frequent exposure to cadmium or specific herbicides

The best preventive measures include taking steps to improve your current health:

• Quit smoking
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Control high blood pressure

Symptoms & diagnosis

Kidney cancer is usually detected at more advanced stages because it can grow quite large before causing discomfort or pain. Tumors are also difficult to detect in a standard physical because the kidneys are deep inside the body. Most cases where kidney cancer is caught early are due to scans being completed for other kidney issues.

Symptoms of kidney cancer include: blood in the urine or urine that looks brownish-red, persistent pain in the side of the abdomen, weight loss, a lump or mass on the side of the abdomen, fever and fatigue. These symptoms can be caused by conditions other than cancer, such as infection.

Depending on the symptoms, your doctor may want to perform certain diagnostic tests, which may include:

• Blood and urine tests
• Computed tomography (CT or CAT scan): A diagnostic imaging procedure that combines multiple X-rays and computer technology to produce cross-sectional images ("slices") of the kidneys and other organs, bones, muscle or tissue.
• Ultrasound: Uses sound waves to create a picture of the kidneys and other organs. Solid tumors and cysts are visible on the ultrasound image.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): MRIs use a large magnet, radio waves and a computer to produce detailed body images.
• Intravenous pyelogram (IVP): An x-ray exam that uses an injection of contrast material to evaluate your kidneys, ureters, and bladder and help diagnose blood in the urine or pain in your side or lower back.
• Interventional radiology renal mass biopsy: A thin needle is inserted into the tumor, and a small sample of the tissue is removed (biopsy). A pathologist will look at the tissue under a microscope to see if there are any cancer cells.

Treatments & therapies

If you find that you have kidney cancer, rest assured you have some of the best experts by your side. Our dedicated team—including board-certified urologists, surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, and more specialists—work closely with you to create a personalized cancer treatment plan to ensure the best possible outcome.