Understanding Kidney Cancer: Symptoms, Risk Factors, and Prevention Strategies

02:31 PM

Thursday 08 June 2023

I wrote – Asmaa Morsi

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located behind the abdominal organs, each kidney on either side of the spine.

Kidney cancer is the most common type of kidney cancer, and there are some symptoms that you should pay attention to for early diagnosis of the disease, according to what was reported on the “mayoclinic” website.

Symptoms:
There are no signs of kidney cancer in its early stages. Over time, symptoms may appear, including:

Blood in the urine, which may appear pink or red.
Constant back pain.
Anorexia.
Unexplained weight loss.
feeling tired
fever.
The presence of a mass or tumor in the kidney area.

– When do you visit the doctor?
You should go to the specialist doctor, if you have any signs or symptoms that persist.

– the reasons:
Kidney cancer begins when changes (mutations) occur in the DNA in some kidney cells. A cell’s DNA contains the instructions that tell the cell what to do.

These changes in DNA tell cells to grow and divide rapidly. The accumulating abnormal cells form a tumor that can spread outside the kidney. Some cells may divide and travel to other parts of the body.

Risk factors:
There are some factors that increase your chances of developing kidney cancer, including:

1. Getting older:
Your risk of developing kidney cancer increases with age.

2. Smoking:
Smokers are more likely to develop kidney cancer than non-smokers.

3. Obesity:
People who are obese have an increased risk of developing kidney cancer.

4. High blood pressure:
High blood pressure increases your risk of kidney cancer.

5. Treatment of Kidney Failure:
People on long-term dialysis to treat chronic kidney failure have an increased risk of developing kidney cancer.

6. Having a family history of kidney cancer:
The chances of developing kidney cancer increase if it was contracted by a family member.

– Methods of prevention:

1. Quit smoking.

2. Maintain a healthy weight.

3. Control of high blood pressure.

4. Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in fat.