March is Kidney Cancer Awareness Month. In honor of this and all the patients who have fought and are currently fighting this disease, the Paris Charter Against Cancer would like to contribute to the discussion and present some facts about the disease as well as what you can do to decrease your risk of being diagnosed with Kidney Cancer.
Statistics
- It is the 14th most common cancer worldwide, accounting for 2.4% of all global cancer cases.
- It is the 9th most common cancer found in men and the 14th most common found in women.
- An estimated 431,288 people were diagnosed with Kidney Cancer in 2020
- Older individuals, aged 65 and above, are most commonly affected
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) World Data Map showing the Kidney Cancer deaths per 100,000 for both sexes in 2000 vs. 2019
What is Kidney Cancer?
Kidney Cancer, sometimes referred to as Renal Cancer, is a cancer that develops in your kidney.
Depending on the type of kidney cancer, they develop a bit differently. In adults, the most common form is Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC), and this makes up about 9 out of 10 kidney cancer cases in adults. This type of cancer forms when healthy cells start growing abnormally into a mass called a renal cortical tumor. There are different types of RCC including Clear Cell RCC, Collecting Duct RCC, Multiocular Cystic RCC, Medullary Carcinoma, Mucinous Tubular and Spindle Cell Carcinoma, Neuroblastoma-associated RCC and Non-Clear RCC which includes Papillary RCC, and Chromophobe RCC. Clear Cell RCC is the most common type in adults and is often prone to metastasis and recurrence.
Other types of kidney cancer in adults include Urothelial or Transitional Cell Carcinoma (which is treated as a bladder cancer since it begins in the renal pelvis and with the same cells bladder cancers typically originate from), Oncocytoma, Sarcoma which develops in the connective tissue known as the capsule or in the surrounding fat, and Lymphoma. Children, while they are rarely diagnosed with kidney cancer, are more likely to develop a form called Wilms’ Tumor.
Who does Kidney Cancer primarily affect?
Kidney Cancer primarily affects people aged 65 and over. Men are more likely to be diagnosed with this type of cancer than women are. According to the World Cancer Research Fund, there may also be a link between height and kidney cancer, as there are indications that being tall increases your risk of developing this disease. Certain conditions such as Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome have also been linked with kidney cancer.
If you have pre-existing kidney disease, have undergone long-term dialysis, suffer from hypertension, or have a history of kidney stones, you have a higher risk of developing kidney cancer. Similarly, people diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes have a 37% higher risk of being diagnosed with kidney cancer. Some evidence also suggests that the frequent use of NSAIDs (not including aspirin) and Paracetamol can contribute to a higher risk of kidney cancer.
Prevention & Screening
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the World Cancer Research Fund, you can significantly reduce your risk of kidney cancer by avoiding smoking, lowering blood pressure, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding certain workplace exposures such as radiation, chemicals such as Trichloroethylene, aristolochic acid, and avoiding the consumption of Phenacetin or analgesics containing Phenacetin as the drug is known to contribute to kidney disease.
Urine tests during routine checkups can indicate kidney cancer. If a person is at a high risk of developing kidney cancer, screenings via ultrasound or MRI are an option. Early diagnosis is key for a successful treatment. If the cancer is diagnosed when it is only present in one kidney, the relative 5-year survival rate is 93%. After metastasis, the 5-year relative survival rate drops below 72% depending on how far the cancer has metastasized. Treatment options for kidney cancers vary. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy are widespread treatment practices for this disease.