Although it’s the most common type of kidney cancer in adults, renal cell carcinoma, or RCC, isn’t on most people’s radar. However, kidney cancers affect 1 in 45 men and 1 in 75 women, meaning someone you know will probably develop kidney cancer. Of these cancers, almost 90% are renal cell carcinoma.
In this blog, we’ll discuss what renal cell carcinoma is, how it’s treated and why it’s important to find this stealthy disease as early as possible.
What Is Renal Cell Carcinoma?
Sheltering just inside the lower part of your ribcage, your kidneys have many important jobs. They filter waste products and extra fluids out of your blood. They maintain the chemical and mineral balances that keep your body healthy. Along with bone marrow, they make red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body.
Your kidneys can develop several kinds of cancer, including renal cell carcinoma, transitional cell carcinoma and renal sarcoma. The name “renal cell carcinoma” tells you what kind of cancer it is and where it originates.
- Renal cells: These are kidney cells.
- Carcinoma: This kind of cancer begins in cells that line the inside or outside of your organs.
Renal cell carcinoma starts in the cells that line your tubules—small tubes in your kidneys that return important substances back into your blood while carrying wastes away.
You may also hear names such as clear cell renal cell carcinoma, papillary renal cell carcinoma or chromophobe renal cell carcinoma. These are all subtypes of renal cell carcinoma.
What Does a Diagnosis of Renal Cell Carcinoma Mean?
In its early stages, renal cell cancer grows quietly. There are no screening tests for this disease, and tumors are small and hard to detect. You may not feel any different, or you might just feel run-down.
As it spreads, renal cell cancer can cause problems throughout your body. A routine lab test could reveal liver problems, too many red blood cells or too much calcium in your blood.
Symptoms of Renal Cell Carcinoma
If you experience symptoms of renal cell carcinoma, you may have a combination of pain and fullness between your ribs and hip. You may also see blood in your urine.
Other signs and symptoms include:
- Anemia
- Exhaustion
- Fever
- High blood pressure
- Night sweats
- Weight loss
Men whose cancer has spread may also experience swelling in the blood vessels of the scrotum.
Stages of Renal Cell Carcinoma
Doctors divide renal cell carcinoma into stages according to its size and how widespread it is.
Stages of renal cell carcinoma include:
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- Stage 1: Small tumor or tumors in your kidneys
- Stage 2: At least one large tumor in your kidneys
- Stage 3: Cancer has spread to lymph nodes or other surrounding tissues, such as blood vessels
- Stage 4: Cancer has spread to distant organs or lymph nodes
Your doctors may also grade kidney cancer according to how different the cells look from ordinary cells. The higher the grade, the more the cancer cells differ from typical cells.
Cancer grades can indicate how fast your cancer may spread to other parts of your body. High-grade cancers spread faster than lower-grade cancers.
Risk Factors for Renal Cell Carcinoma
By a 2-to-1 ratio, your risk of developing renal cell cancer is higher if you are a man. Other risk factors for renal cell carcinoma include:
- Family history
- High blood pressure
- Kidney failure
- Obesity
- Smoking
With kidney cancer, you have the power to make a difference. Researchers estimate that half of kidney cancers could be avoided by cutting out tobacco smoke and losing excess weight.
Diagnosing Renal Cell Carcinoma
Doctors diagnose renal cell carcinoma using various tests, including:
- Blood tests
- Urine tests
- Imaging tests, including CT, MRI and ultrasound
- Biopsy of kidney tissue samples
If your doctor suspects your cancer has spread beyond your kidneys, you may also need a chest CT to check for cancer in your lungs or a bone scan to identify any cancer in your bones.
Treatments for Renal Cell Carcinoma
If your cancer is found at an early stage, your doctors may use surgery, ablation therapy or cryotherapy to treat it. These approaches treat cancer by surgically removing it or destroying it with heat or cold.
When your cancer has spread beyond your kidneys, you may receive systemic treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy or immunotherapy. These treatments can also be used to destroy any remaining cancer after a tumor has been removed.
Nephrectomy
Sometimes, your doctor may decide it’s best to remove your entire kidney, a process called nephrectomy. This can happen early in your diagnosis if your doctor thinks there’s a chance for your cancer to spread. People with metastatic disease—cancer that has spread throughout your body—may also have a nephrectomy to help control symptoms.
VEGF Inhibitors: Targeted Therapy for Renal Cell Carcinoma
When other treatments have failed to destroy or slow your cancer, your doctor may prescribe a VEGF inhibitor. This type of targeted cancer therapy can be effective against late-stage cancers that have not responded to other therapies.
Tumors, like other parts of your body, need a good blood supply to flourish. Vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, is a protein that causes new blood vessels to grow. Medications that target VEGF can help reduce blood supply to your tumors, slowing cancer spread.
Specialized Care for Specialized Cancers
Renal cell carcinoma is a hard-to-find cancer that requires coordinated care from disease specialists. Capital Health Cancer Center has the tools, technologies and expertise to treat your cancer effectively:
- Experienced physicians who know how to interpret subtle symptoms
- A full range of targeted therapies for advanced cancer
- Compassionate care from our supportive services
The Bottom Line: If You See Something, Say Something
Although renal cell carcinoma is a dangerous form of kidney cancer, it’s also very treatable. More than 90% of people survive five years or longer if the disease is found while it is still local.
You are most likely to survive renal cell carcinoma if your doctors find it before cancerous cells have a chance to travel outside your kidneys. If you see blood in your urine, don’t take any chances—let your doctor know.
Facing a renal cell carcinoma diagnosis? Request a consultation with a cancer expert at Capital Health Cancer Center.