Condition Lookup
Category:
Oncological Kidney Conditions
Number of Conditions: 1
Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC)
Specialty: Nephrology
Category: Oncological Kidney Conditions
Symptoms:
blood in the urine (hematuria); flank pain; a palpable mass in the abdomen or flank; unexplained weight loss; fever; fatigue
Root Cause:
Cancer that originates in the renal tubules, often associated with genetic mutations (e.g., VHL gene mutation) and environmental factors such as smoking.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Imaging studies (ultrasound, CT scan, MRI), biopsy, urine cytology, and laboratory tests such as kidney function tests and complete blood counts.
Treatment:
Surgical removal of the affected kidney (nephrectomy), targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and, in some cases, radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
Medications:
Medications include targeted therapies such as sunitinib (tyrosine kinase inhibitor), cabozantinib (tyrosine kinase inhibitor), and immune checkpoint inhibitors like nivolumab (PD-1 inhibitor) or ipilimumab (CTLA-4 inhibitor). These medications are classified as targeted cancer therapies or immunotherapies.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
RCC accounts for approximately 85% of kidney cancers, with higher rates in males and older individuals (peak incidence at 60-70 years).
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Smoking, obesity, hypertension, family history of RCC, exposure to certain chemicals (e.g., trichloroethylene).
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Early-stage RCC has a high survival rate with treatment, but advanced or metastatic RCC has a more guarded prognosis despite advances in targeted therapies.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Metastasis to lungs, bones, liver, or brain; paraneoplastic syndromes; impaired kidney function due to tumor burden or nephrectomy.