nursing care for kidney cancer

kidney cancer definition

It is a type of renal cancer in which the kidney becomes cancerous and grows more than usual. In short, the tumor is formed in the kidneys and multiplies uncontrollably, leading to kidney cancer. At first the kidney cancer appears in the thin lining tubes in the kidney. Such type of kidney cell is known as the renal cell carcinoma. In the kidney, the cancer cells usually form behind the abdominal organs, where one kidney is on each side of the spine.

In adults, the renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer. Other than this, young children can also suffer from kidney cancer. The kidney cancer treatment method is evolving gradually with the help of the latest technology. Also, there are options for kidney cancer treatment at home which seems very convenient for older patients.

kidney cancer symptoms 

At the initial stage, there are almost nil symptoms of Kidney Cancer. As the tumor grows in size, kidney cancer symptoms become more visible. If you have kidney cancer, you may suffer from one of these symptoms:

• Lump on either side of the abdomen
• Loss of Appetite
• Blood in the Urine
• Pain in either side of the body which doesn’t go away
• Feeling extreme fatigue
• Anemia
• Swelling of the legs and ankles
• Frequent Weight Loss which occurs for no reason
• Fever which can last for weeks and is not caused by infection and cold.

kidney cancer causes

Till date, doctors don’t know the actual cause of Kidney Cancer but there are certain factors that seem to increase the risk of kidney cancer. Kidney Cancer is more prominent in people older than 40 years of age. 

Given below are the risk factors which can cause Kidney Cancer:

Smoking: If you are smoking cigarettes, your risk of suffering from kidney cancer becomes twice as that of nonsmokers. In other case, smoking cigars can also increase the risk of kidney cancer. 

• Obesity: Extra Weight can cause hormonal changes and can promote kidney cancer to a massive extent. 
• Using Pain Medications: If you are using pain medications such as prescription drugs or the over-counter-drugs for a long period of time, it can cause kidney cancer. 
• Genetic Conditions: A condition such as the von Hippel-Lindau or the inherited papillary renal cell can also be considered as kidney cancer causes
• Blood Pressure: It is assumed to accelerate kidney cancer but doctors don’t know whether medication and high blood pressure is the root cause of kidney cancer or not. 

kidney cancer stages

Your whole prognosis is dependent on your health and the stage of your kidney cancer. The higher the kidney cancer stage more will be the advancement of cancer. 

Stage I

The Tumor is 7 cm or smaller and is located in one kidney.

Stage II

The Tumor is larger than 7 cm and is located in one kidney

Stage III

• The tumor is there in the kidney and in one of the lymph node
• The tumor will be present in the fatty tissue all around the kidney and can involve the lymph nodes

Stage IV

• Among the above Kidney Cancer Stages, stage IV is the most dangerous one. The cancer cell spreads beyond the fatty tissues and can be around the lymph nodes.
• Cancer can spread to other organs such as the lungs, pancreas, and bowels. 
• Cancer has spread throughout Gerota’s Fascia. 

kidney cancer types

The Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of cancer which occurs in most of the patients. It has got different subtypes which are as follows:

• Clear Cell RCC
• Papillary RCC
• Chromophobe RCC
• Collecting duct RCC
• Unclassified RCC

Other Kidney Cancer Types Tumors

• Transitional Cell Carcinoma
• Renal Sarcoma

kidney cancer treatment

Once you have done the kidney cancer diagnostic test, your doctor can plan the kidney cancer treatment on an immediate basis. In this, you will have to be mentally prepared and be confident regardless of the outcome. In cases, the doctors can refer a urologist, a radiation oncologist or a surgeon for better treatment procedure. Kidney cancer home treatment can also be helpful to patients who are very weak.  

Kidney Cancer is said to be one of the most dangerous cancers which goes through spontaneous remission. But, the incidence is as low as 0.5%. At the present, there are different types of Kidney Cancer treatment out of which, surgery is said to be the prime one. 

surgery treatment for kidney cancer

Following are the main types of surgical methods for treating kidney cancer:

• Radical nephrectomy

In this procedure, the kidney is removed along with the adrenal gland and tissue. This is the most common type of surgery which can be done with the help of a laparoscope. 

• Simple nephrectomy

In this treatment, only the kidney is taken out and then the treatment procedures are done 

• Partial nephrectomy

Partial nephrectomy helps in removing cancer from the kidney along with its surrounding tissue. This kidney cancer care treatment is helpful for patients who have got smaller tumors (less than 4 cm). 

In case if the surgical treatment doesn’t work, your doctor can suggest you the following option to destroy tumor:

• Cryotherapy

Usage of Extreme Cold for killing tumor cells

• Radiofrequency ablation

Using high energy radio waves for “cooking” tumors and killing it

• Arterial embolization

In this treatment option, materials are inserted into an artery which leads to the kidney. This helps in blocking blood flow to the tumor and can be done before any surgical procedure. 

how can we help

To know the stages of kidney cancer, there are different kidney cancer diagnosis methods which are carried out by professionals. By choosing Portea, you can be sure of the best kidney cancer treatment at home. We have empathetic nurses for kidney cancer who are extremely professional in their approach. The team at Portea not only offers various home treatments,  kidney cancer screening tests or other kidney cancer tests but also support you emotionally in this tough time.