Kidney cancer claims 1,44,000 lives every year
Kidney is among the top 20 common forms of cancer that claims close to 1.5 lakh lives in a year. It is most commonly seen in women than men; but the incidence of this cancer in both the genders is alarmingly high.
As per reports there are more than 3,30,000 new cases of kidney cancer every year.
Delayed diagnosis is a reason why so many patients, who could have been treated, die. Another reason is lack of awareness and prevalence of myths.
Here are few myths related to kidney cancer discussed here:
Myth: Kidney cancer is rare
Many people believe that kidney cancer is rare.
Kidney cancer kills close to 1.5 lakh people worldwide and is equally common in men and women, though the occurrence in women is more often.
Myth: Smoking is not related to the kidney cancer
While many believe that smoking is not related to the kidneys, surprisingly smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for kidney cancer.
As per the American Cancer Society, smoking increases the risk of renal cell carcinoma, which is one of the most common forms of cancer.
Myth: Kidney cancer surgery leads to removal of the kidneys
Any type of cancer, be it in the kidneys or in the lungs or anywhere else can be treated if it is detected early.
Though there will be surgical intervention depending on the nature of the cancerous growth, most often the surgery is focused on removing the tumor, not the entire kidney.
Myth: Kidney cancer is not hereditary
Many people ignore the risks of kidney cancer if they do not have it in their family.
Medical data says 2-3% of the kidney cancer cases are hereditary in nature. Though this figure appears to be meager, if you have a family history of this type of cancer you should be aware of the risk factors.
What are the symptoms of kidney cancer one should be aware of?
"Early-stage kidney cancer may not have any symptoms," says Dr. Nikhil S Ghadyalpatil, Senior Consultant Medical Oncologist & Hemato-Oncologist, Yashoda Hospitals Hyderabad.
However, there may be certain signs like: Pain in the flank usually on one side, Change in the color of urine: red or pink tinge to urine or sometimes cola colored urine, at times, frank blood in the urine, associated symptoms like unexplained fever, unexplained weight loss, sweating and fatigue can be seen in some patients; at times, patient may present with symptoms due to spread to other organs (Secondarie) which may manifest in the form of bone pains, cough breathlessness etc., explains Dr Ghadyalpatil.
"Once we understand important symptoms related to kidney cancer, one can consider seeing a doctor in case symptoms persist. Again, don’t be alarmed by the symptoms mentioned above as at times the symptoms may be nonspecific and may not always be related to kidney cancer," says Dr Ghadyalpatil.
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