October 14, 2012

Knowing Kidney Cancer


Understanding Kidneys

Kidneys are a pair of organs on each side of the spine (spine) in the lower abdomen. Each kidney is about the size of a fist. Attached to the top of each kidney is an adrenal gland. A mass of fatty tissue and an outer layer of fibrous tissue (Gerota's fascia) surrounding the kidneys and adrenal glands.

The kidneys are part of the channel urine (pee). They make urine by removing waste and excess water from the blood. Urine was gathered in a hollow space (renal pelvis) in the middle of each kidney. It flows from the renal pelvis into the bladder through a tube called a ureter. Urine leaves the body through another tube (the urethra).
The kidneys also make substances that help control blood pressure and the production of red blood cells.

Understanding Cancer


Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks that make up tissues. Tissues make up the organs of the body.
Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old, they die, and new cells take their place.
Sometimes this orderly process goes wrong. New cells form when the body does not need them, and old cells do not die when they should die. These extra cells can form a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor.

Tumors can be benign or malignant:
• Benign tumors are not cancer:
o Benign tumors are rarely life threatening.
o Usually, benign tumors can be removed / excluded, and they seldom grow back.
o Cells from benign tumors do not invade tissues around them or spread to other parts of the body.
• Malignant tumors are cancer:
o Malignant tumors are generally more serious than benign tumors. They may be life threatening.
o Malignant tumors often can be removed / excluded, but they can grow back.
o Cells from malignant tumors can invade and damage tissues and organs nearby. Also, cancer cells can spread from a malignant tumor and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system (lymph nodes). That is how cancer cells spread from the original cancer (primary tumor) to form new tumors in other organs. The spread of cancer is called metastasis.

Some types of cancer can start in the kidney. This article is about renal cell cancer, the most common type of kidney cancer in adults. This type is sometimes called renal adenocarcinoma or hypernephroma. Another type of cancer, transitional cell carcinoma, affects the renal pelvis. He is similar to bladder cancer and is often treated like bladder cancer. Wilms tumor is the most common type of kidney cancer of childhood. He is different from adult kidney cancer and require different treatments.

When kidney cancer spreads outside the kidney, cancer cells are often found in lymph nodes adjacent. Kidney cancer also may spread to the lungs, bones, or liver. And it may spread from one kidney to the other kidney.

When cancer spreads (metastasizes) from its original location to other parts of the body, the new tumor has the same kind of abnormal cells and the same name as the primary tumor. For example, if kidney cancer spreads to the lungs, the cancer cells in the lungs are actually kidney cancer cells. The disease is metastatic kidney cancer, not lung cancer. He was treated as kidney cancer, not lung cancer. Doctors sometimes call the new tumor as metastatic disease or disease "far".
Posted by at
Labels:

Knowing Kidney Cancer


Understanding Kidneys

Kidneys are a pair of organs on each side of the spine (spine) in the lower abdomen. Each kidney is about the size of a fist. Attached to the top of each kidney is an adrenal gland. A mass of fatty tissue and an outer layer of fibrous tissue (Gerota's fascia) surrounding the kidneys and adrenal glands.

The kidneys are part of the channel urine (pee). They make urine by removing waste and excess water from the blood. Urine was gathered in a hollow space (renal pelvis) in the middle of each kidney. It flows from the renal pelvis into the bladder through a tube called a ureter. Urine leaves the body through another tube (the urethra).
The kidneys also make substances that help control blood pressure and the production of red blood cells.

Understanding Cancer


Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks that make up tissues. Tissues make up the organs of the body.
Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old, they die, and new cells take their place.
Sometimes this orderly process goes wrong. New cells form when the body does not need them, and old cells do not die when they should die. These extra cells can form a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor.

Tumors can be benign or malignant:
• Benign tumors are not cancer:
o Benign tumors are rarely life threatening.
o Usually, benign tumors can be removed / excluded, and they seldom grow back.
o Cells from benign tumors do not invade tissues around them or spread to other parts of the body.
• Malignant tumors are cancer:
o Malignant tumors are generally more serious than benign tumors. They may be life threatening.
o Malignant tumors often can be removed / excluded, but they can grow back.
o Cells from malignant tumors can invade and damage tissues and organs nearby. Also, cancer cells can spread from a malignant tumor and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system (lymph nodes). That is how cancer cells spread from the original cancer (primary tumor) to form new tumors in other organs. The spread of cancer is called metastasis.

Some types of cancer can start in the kidney. This article is about renal cell cancer, the most common type of kidney cancer in adults. This type is sometimes called renal adenocarcinoma or hypernephroma. Another type of cancer, transitional cell carcinoma, affects the renal pelvis. He is similar to bladder cancer and is often treated like bladder cancer. Wilms tumor is the most common type of kidney cancer of childhood. He is different from adult kidney cancer and require different treatments.

When kidney cancer spreads outside the kidney, cancer cells are often found in lymph nodes adjacent. Kidney cancer also may spread to the lungs, bones, or liver. And it may spread from one kidney to the other kidney.

When cancer spreads (metastasizes) from its original location to other parts of the body, the new tumor has the same kind of abnormal cells and the same name as the primary tumor. For example, if kidney cancer spreads to the lungs, the cancer cells in the lungs are actually kidney cancer cells. The disease is metastatic kidney cancer, not lung cancer. He was treated as kidney cancer, not lung cancer. Doctors sometimes call the new tumor as metastatic disease or disease "far".