Renal Cancer

What is renal cancer? 

Renal cancer, also known as kidney cancer, is cancer that occurs in the kidneys, which are the two, fist-sized organs in the upper rear portion of the abdomen that remove toxins from the blood, create certain hormones and turn waste from the body into urine. When cells in a kidney mutate and grow out of control, this can create masses of cells called tumors, resulting in renal cancer.  

There are several types of renal cancer, but according to the American Cancer Society, about 90 percent of cases are a form known as renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Clear cell renal carcinoma, a subtype of RCC, makes up about 70 percent of RCC cases. 

Less common types of renal cancer include: 

• Papillary renal cell carcinoma
• Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma 
• Collecting duct RCC
• Multilocular cystic RCC
• Medullary carcinoma
• Mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinoma 
• Neuroblastoma-associated RCC

What are the symptoms of renal cancer?

The symptoms of renal cancer are often different for every patient, but common symptoms can include: 

• Blood in the urine, also known as hematuria
• Unexplained, recurring or constant low-grade fever
• Anemia, which is a low red blood cell count
• Unexplained weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue
• Finding a lump on your side or lower back
• Unexplained low back pain on one side

What are the risk factors for renal cancer?

According to the American Cancer Society, there are a number of factors that are believed to increase your risk of developing renal cancer. These include: 

• Smoking
• Obesity
• A family history of renal cancer, with the American Cancer Society noting the risk is highest if you have a sibling who has been diagnosed or previously treated for renal cancer.
  • Hoag Family Cancer Institute offers a Hereditary Cancer Program to assess a person’s family history and any associated risk for cancer. Learn more by calling 949-764-5764.
• Being older, as most patients with renal cancer are older than age 65, with the condition being rare for those under 45
• Being male, as renal cancer is about two times more common in men than women
• High blood pressure, even if controlled by drugs
• Exposure to certain chemicals, including trichloroethylene, which is used in making refrigerants, degreasers and some household cleaning products
• Taking acetaminophen, which the ACS says may be linked to increased risk
• Chronic kidney disease, especially if a person requires dialysis
• Certain medical or genetic conditions, or a family history of those conditions, including von Hippel-Lindau disease, hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma, hereditary leiomyoma-renal cell carcinoma, Birt-Hogg-Dube (BHD) syndrome, familial renal cancer, Cowden syndrome and tuberous sclerosis

How can I reduce my risk of developing renal cancer? 

Ways to reduce your risk of developing renal cancer may include:

• Don’t smoke
• Eat a healthy diet and get regular exercise to avoid becoming obese or developing high blood pressure
• Use acetaminophen and other over-the-counter pain medicines in moderation 
• Limit exposure to trichloroethylene

How is renal cancer diagnosed?
If you are experiencing any symptoms that might suggest renal cancer, your doctor will talk to you about your symptoms, likely followed by a thorough physical exam and bloodwork. 

According to the American Cancer Society, blood work alone cannot diagnose renal cancer, but can show results that indicate a problem such as anemia, high liver enzymes or elevated levels of calcium. 

Your doctor will also likely request a urine sample to check for blood in your urine, and may subject the sample to a special test called urine cytology that uses high magnification to detect cancer cells.  

Depending on the outcome of those tests, your doctor may refer you to a specialist for other tests that may include: 

• Surgical biopsy, in which a small sample of kidney tissue is painlessly removed for testing
• Imaging tests to see the extent of the cancer and if it has spread, which may include kidney ultrasound, X-rays, CT scans, PET scan, MRI or Bone scans.

I’ve been diagnosed with renal cancer. Now what do I do?

If tests confirm a diagnosis of renal cancer, a pathologist will examine a tissue sample in the lab and grade the severity of the case by assigning a stage to the cancer, and in some cases, a Fuhrman Grade. 

This staging and grade of the cancer offer insight into how likely your cancer is to spread and grow. Renal cancers are graded on a scale of 1 to 4, with 1 being the least dangerous. Cancers assigned a Fuhrman grade of 4 are the most aggressive, and the most likely to spread. 

World class renal cancer care at Hoag

Diagnosed with renal cancer in Orange County? Don’t worry and wait. Trust the team that’s here to help you heal. Trust Hoag for your urologic cancer care. The Hoag Family Cancer Institute offers world-class programs for urologic cancer of all types, with multidisciplinary teams, state-of-the-art facilities and technology and the latest in cancer therapies. For the sixth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best Hospitals Rankings named Hoag in Newport Beach the highest-ranked hospital in Orange County,

Find more information about urologic cancer care at Hoag at this link.  Meet Hoag’s Renal Cancer Team.

Hoag’s Clinical Nurse Navigator Program

Hoag is a leader in peace of mind for cancer patients through our Clinical Nurse Navigator program. This unique program provides cancer patients and their families with access to nurses who have specialized training in specific cancers. These nurses serve primarily as facilitators and guides. By answering questions, providing support and serving as a trusted source of science-backed information at each phase of treatment, Hoag’s Clinical Nurse Navigators are a critical resource for patients during diagnosis, treatment and recovery.  Find more information about Hoag’s Clinical Nurse Navigator program here.

What are the treatment options for renal cancer?

Treatment options for renal cancer depend on many factors, including how advanced the cancer is when detected, your age and any other health issues you may have. Treatments for renal cancer vary from patient to patient, but may include:  

Surgery

Surgery is often recommended in renal cancer cases. There are three main surgical approaches to renal cancer: 

• Partial nephrectomy, in which surgeons remove the cancer from the kidney, along with a margin of healthy tissue around it. As most people can live normal lives with only one kidney, partial nephrectomy is usually only done if a patient’s other kidney is damaged or has been removed.  
• Simple nephrectomy, in which the entire cancerous kidney is removed, leaving one healthy kidney.
• Radical nephrectomy, in which the cancerous kidney is removed, along with the adrenal gland, a margin of healthy tissues and sometimes lymph nodes that are nearby.  

Advanced technology and treatments for renal cancer at Hoag
Surgery is a vital component in the successful treatment of many urologic cancers. The Hoag Family Cancer Institute’s medical team includes experienced, fellowship-trained urologic oncologists who utilize the latest techniques and technology in the surgical management of many different urologic cancers, including renal cancer.

Hoag’s robot-assisted surgery program

To help patients recover faster and return to normal activities sooner, Hoag surgeons utilize the da Vinci® Surgical System to perform robot-assisted minimally invasive surgeries in some cases. Hoag’s highly-trained team recently surpassed 20,000 procedures utilizing this groundbreaking technology. Find more information about advanced robotic surgeries at Hoag at this link.

Non-surgical options

Non-surgical treatments for renal cancer can include:  

• Ablative techniques, or removal of body tissue, including cryotherapy and radiofrequency ablation
• Immunotherapy, which primes your immune system to fight the cancer
• Targeted molecular therapies, targets the changes in cancer cells that help them grow, divide, and spread.
• Chemotherapy
• Precision Medicine, in which Hoag physicians test the DNA of patients’ tumors, then develop treatments tailored specifically to the mutations that caused the cancer. That allows doctors to treat the cancer very precisely. Hoag’s precision medicine team works seamlessly with Hoag’s Urologic Cancer Program to provide a precise molecular understanding of each patient’s tumor, leading to more personalized, effective cancer treatment plans. Hoag is a national leader in the use of precision medicine in several types of cancer. Explore precision medicine at Hoag. 

Integrated Cancer Support Services at Hoag 

At Hoag Family Cancer Institute, we’re committed to offering the best support services, resources and educational information to our patients and their families at every stage of their cancer journey. Hoag’s Integrated Cancer Support Services are open to everyone regardless of their prognosis, cancer stage or phase of recovery. 

Resources include: 

• Classes & Workshops
• Counseling Services
• Hoag’s Fitter Image Exercise Program
• Support Groups
• Hoag Rehabilitation Services
• Spiritual Care Services
• Oncology Massage
• Oncology Dietitians
• Financial Navigators for cancer-related care

Find more information about Integrated Cancer Support Services at Hoag at this link.

Survivorship Support at Hoag

At Hoag, we understand that a cancer diagnosis may cause you and your family to experience a variety of significant life changes. We are committed to providing you with support before, during and after treatment. Hoag’s survivorship resources help you navigate through the challenges of telling friends and family about your cancer, working while living with cancer, returning to “normal” after cancer and so much more. We strive to provide you with the resources needed to feel empowered in your everyday life.

Learn more about our Survivorship Support here.