Kidney cancer
What is kidney cancer?
Kidney cancer, sometimes referred to as renal cancer, is a type of cancer affecting the kidneys which most commonly occurs in those over the age of 60. It is one of the commonest cancers in the UK. There are different types of kidney cancer:
- Renal cell carcinoma
- Transitional cell carcinoma
- Wilm’s tumour
Kidney cancers are graded on a scale of 1-4, as are many types of cancer. Cancers which are low on the scale grow slowly, while cancers on the higher end of the scale spread more quickly. This grading system helps the doctor decide on treatment and assess how the cancer will behave.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms of kidney cancer are often difficult to detect at first, and kidney cancer is more often picked up during other routine testing. The main symptoms of kidney cancer are:
- Blood in the urine
- Pain or pressure in the side or back
- A mass or a lump in the side or back (though this is often too small to detect)
Causes of kidney cancer or why it occurs
The most frequent risk factors that influence the development of kidney cancer are:
- Smoking
- Kidney disease
- Obesity, following a diet high in fats
- Drinking (alcohol)
- High blood pressure
- Previous radiotherapy for cancer
- Diabetes
- Hysterectomy
- Family history of kidney cancer
Can it be prevented?
Reducing some risk factors can help in the prevention of kidney cancer, such as:
- Quitting smoking
- Lowering blood pressure
- Maintaining a healthy body weight
- Following a varied diet abundant in fruits and vegetables, and with a low fat content
What is the treatment?
Kidney cancer, if detected early, can be cured. Treatment and outlook of kidney cancer depends on the size of the tumour and how far it has spread in the body.
The cancer cells can also be treated through freezing or heating (cryotherapy, radiofrequency ablation), embolisation (where the blood supply to the tumour is cut off), radiotherapy, or biological therapies such as immunotherapy.
If the cancer is limited to the kidney and is still fairly small, surgery can cure it. If, on the other hand, the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, treatment focusses on controlling it and preventing further spread.


Kidney cancer: survival rate and treatment options
By Mr Chris Blick
2022-08-15
If kidney cancer is detected early the survival rate can be excellent. With more than 50% of cases going undetected in the UK, read more from our expert urologist Mr Chris Blick on the risk factors for developing renal cancer. See more


Blood in your urine? Here's what you need to know
By Dr David Game
2022-08-12
If you find blood in your urine, what should you do? Why does it happen? And why can our urine look more or less concentrated at different times in the day? London-based nephrologist Dr David Game is here to answer these, and more, questions about haematuria. See more


Cryotherapy to treat early kidney cancer
By Mr Christopher Anderson
2022-08-10
Cryotherapy kills cancer cells by freezing them. It can cure small, early-stage kidney cancer by freezing tissues at an extremely low temperature and destroying the cancer cells completely. We've asked one of our expert urologists Mr Christopher Anderson to explain how it works. See more


All about kidney cancer and diagnosis
By Mr Christopher Anderson
2022-07-24
There are over 6,600 people diagnosed with kidney cancer in the UK each year. For unknown reasons, kidney cancer affects more men than women and 2 out of 3 people diagnosed are over the age of 65. We asked urologist Mr Christopher Anderson about kidney cancer, how it starts and how it can be detected. See more
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Mr Christopher Anderson
UrologyExpert in:
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Mr Neil Haldar
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The Urology Partnership
The Urology Partnership
11 Kendrick Road Reading, RG1 5DU
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Chelmsford Urology Partnership
Chelmsford Urology Partnership
Lawn Lane Chelmsford CM1 7GU
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The Urology Partnership
11 Kendrick Road Reading, RG1 5DU, ReadingExpert in:
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Chelmsford Urology Partnership
Lawn Lane Chelmsford CM1 7GU, ChelmsfordExpert in:
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