Renal Cell Carcinoma Flashcards, test questions and answers
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What is Renal Cell Carcinoma?
Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) is a type of kidney cancer that affects the cells of the renal tubules in the kidneys. RCC accounts for approximately 2-3 percent of all adult cancers and is one of the most common types of kidney cancer in adults. It can affect people at any age, but it is more common in men than women and usually occurs between the ages of 40 and 70. The cause of RCC is not entirely known, but several factors can increase an individual’s risk for developing this type of cancer, such as smoking, obesity, hypertension, certain genetic conditions, and occupational exposure to certain chemicals. Additionally, people with chronic kidney diseases or those with a history of renal calculi have a higher risk for developing RCC. Symptoms may include painless blood in the urine (hematuria), fatigue due to anemia from internal bleeding caused by tumors in the kidney or urinary tract obstruction from tumor growths. Other symptoms may include weight loss, fever and night sweats due to advanced disease affecting other organs such as liver or lungs. Diagnosis can be made through imaging studies like computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These tests allow doctors to detect changes in size and shape within the kidneys that may indicate a tumor or other masses within them; however they cannot provide information on whether these masses are benign or malignant without further testing. Biopsy can also be performed if needed to determine which type of cancer it is exactly. Treatment options depend on several factors like size/location/stage/grade/type etc., but could involve anything from simple observation if there are no symptoms present yet to aggressive surgery aimed at removing all tumors from both kidneys if necessary followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy depending on what stage it has progressed too already when first diagnosed as well as prognosis after treatment completion etc. In some cases where tumors have metastasized outside kidneys then additional treatments like targeted drug therapies may also be required depending again upon individual cases’ specifics so close monitoring & follow up with doctor visits regularly are important even after treatment has been completed & patient has been discharged from hospital care setting so that any changes over time can be detected early & dealt with accordingly before they become more serious issues requiring extensive treatments once again potentially.