Renal cancer, also known as hypernephroma, renal adenocarcinoma, or kidney cancer, is the most common type of kidney cancer found in adults. This cancer spreads fast to the surrounding organs.

The kidney helps the body get rid of the waste while maintaining the fluid balance. The kidney contains tiny tubes called tubules. These tubes filter the blood, remove the waste, and produce urine. Renal cancer causes the cells to grow in the lining of the tiny tubules in the kidney.

1. Can kidney cancer be found early?
In most cases, kidney cancer is found early in the stage when it is still confined to the kidney. However, at times, it could be found in the more advanced stages due to the following reasons:

• The cancer cells multiply without causing any pain
• As the kidneys are deep inside the body, the tumors cannot be felt or seen
• Screening tests are not conclusive when it comes to renal cancer in the early stages

2. What are the symptoms of renal cancer?
When kidney cancer is in its early stages, the individual might not observe any symptoms. However, as the disease progresses, the following symptoms may be present:

• Blood in the urine
• Unexpected weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue
• Lump in the abdomen
• Eyesight issue
• Pain in the side
• Sudden growth of unexpected hair

3. Causes of renal cancer
While the exact causes of renal cancer are not known, it is most commonly seen in men who are between the ages of 50 to 70. But, it can also be found in anyone else. There are some risk factors that increase the chances of a person having renal cancer, including:

• Family history
• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Dialysis treatment
• Overuse of medications used to treat arthritis
• Polycystic kidney disease

4. Diagnosis of renal cancer
If your doctor suspects you have renal cancer, you will be asked to provide information about your medical and family history. A number of tests are taken to get an accurate diagnosis, such as:

• CT scan
• Complete blood count
• Kidney and abdomen ultrasound
• Urine examination
• Biopsy

Once it is conclusive that you have renal cancer, more tests are performed to find out where the cancer has spread and, depending on the stage, the treatments are recommended.

5. How are the stages in renal cancer defined?
Staging is used to gage where the cancer is located and how much it has spread. The TNM system is used for this:

• Tumor (T)
  How big is the tumor? Where is it situated?
• Node(N)
  Has it spread to lymph nodes and where else has it spread?
• Metastasis(M)
  Has it spread to other parts? How much and where?

6. What are the stages of renal cancer?
Based on the TNM system, the following stages are defined:

• Stage I
  The tumor is 7 cm small and is located only in the kidney. ( T1, N0, M0)
• Stage II
  The tumor is bigger than 7cm and is located only in the kidney. (T2,N0,M0)
• Stage III
  This stage is where renal cancer causes the cells to spread to the lymph nodes but not other regions. (T1/T2, N1, M0) In rare cases, it has not spread to lymph nodes but is spread in the major veins.
• Stage IV
  Cancer has spread to the adrenal glands and lymph nodes. (T4,N,M0)

7. What are the treatments provided for renal cancer?
There are five kinds of treatments that are used to treat cancer:

• Surgery
  This includes different kinds of procedures like nephrectomy which is either done in partial or radical, depending on the extent of the cancer.
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Biologic therapy
• Targeted therapy