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BackTable / Urology / Topic / Condition
Kidney Cancer
Kidney cancer, also known as renal cell carcinoma, is among the top ten most common cancers in the world and includes any cancer derived from renal tubular epithelial cells. Clear cell, papillary, and chromophobe renal cell carcinoma are the major subtypes of kidney cancer. In the United States, the median age at diagnosis is 64 years, and men have higher incidence rates of kidney cancer than women. The risk of developing kidney cancer is increased with age, excess body weight, hypertension, and smoking. Chronic kidney disease, kidney transplantation, and acquired kidney cystic disease have been associated with kidney cancer.
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Kidney Cancer Diagnosis
Widespread use of imaging techniques, such as ultrasonography and CT scans, performed for a reason unrelated to cancer screening, have led to many incidental findings of renal cell carcinoma. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma often presents with exophytic growth, heterogeneity, or hemorrhage. Symptoms of hypercalcaemia, fever, and erythrocytosis may occur in kidney cancer patients with paraneoplastic syndromes. A diagnosis can be made with a renal core biopsy or a partial or radical nephrectomy specimen is used to confirm malignancy. Staging is assessed with CT imaging with contrast enhancement of the chest, abdominal cavity, and pelvis. MRI is useful for evaluating the extent of the tumor into the vena cava tumor thrombus. Laboratory tests, such as hemoglobin, leukocyte and platelet counts, lactate dehydrogenase levels, and serum-corrected calcium levels, are run for a prognosis.
Kidney Cancer Podcasts
Listen to leading physicians discuss kidney cancer on the BackTable Urology Podcast. Get tips, tricks, and expert guidance from your peers and level up your practice.
Episode #178
Stay up-to-date on the latest advancements and treatment strategies in the field of genitourinary oncology. In this episode of BackTable Urology, guest host Dr. Bogdana Schmidt, a urologic oncologist from the University of Utah, discusses takeaways from ASCO 2024 with Dr. Petros Grivas from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and Dr. Sumanta (Monty) Pal from City of Hope.
Episode #149
This week on BackTable Urology, urologic oncologist Dr. Bogdana Schmidt (University of Utah) hosts a discussion with medical oncology experts Dr. Rana McKay (UC San Diego) and Dr. Neeraj Agarwal (University of Utah) on recent clinical trials from bladder, kidney, and prostate cancer research presented at the 2023 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Meeting.
Episode #63
In this special episode, Dr. Phil Pierorazio (University of Pennsylvania) invites Dr. Rana McKay (UC San Diego) and Dr. Raquibul Hannan (UT Southwestern) about treatment options for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients in preparation for the 2022 International Kidney Cancer Symposium in Austin, Texas.
Episode #26
Dr. Phillip Pierorazio from Penn Urology discusses the management of small renal masses. Listen to the full episode to hear about imaging modalities for small renal masses, distinguishing between cysts and solid tumors, ablation, enucleation, partial nephrectomy, and special considerations for von Hippel-Landau (VHL) patients.
Episode #10
Dr. Aditya Bagrodia interviews Dr. Vitaly Margulis, professor of urology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, about locally advanced kidney cancer. They discuss various topics including classification of locally advanced kidney cancers, various imaging modalities for staging cancer, special considerations for tumor-thrombus formation, targeted therapy vs. checkpoint inhibitors, and robotic vs. open nephrectomies.
Kidney Cancer Treatment
Kidney cancer treatment varies with the type and stage of the disease. Interventions for localized renal cell carcinoma include partial or radical nephrectomy, ablation, or active surveillance. Ablative therapies and active surveillance are often used for elderly patients or patients with competing health risks where surgery is not an option. Metastatic renal cell carcinoma can be managed with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as sunitinib, or immunotherapies, such as cytokines that enhance anti-tumor immune activity
Kidney Cancer Articles
Read our exclusive BackTable Urology Articles for quick insights on kidney cancer, provided by physicians for physicians.
References
[1] Hsieh, J. J., Purdue, M. P., Signoretti, S., Swanton, C., Albiges, L., Schmidinger, M., Heng, D. Y., Larkin, J., & Ficarra, V. (2017, March 9). Renal cell carcinoma. Nature reviews. Disease primers. Retrieved December 3, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5936048/
Disclaimer: The Materials available on https://www.BackTable.com/ are for informational and educational purposes only and are not a substitute for the professional judgment of a healthcare professional in diagnosing and treating patients. The opinions expressed by participants of the BackTable Podcast belong solely to the participants, and do not necessarily reflect the views of BackTable.
Podcasts
Articles
Kidney Cancer Surgery: Nephrectomy, Lymph Node Dissection, When & Why
Tumor Thrombus & Budd Chiari Syndrome in Kidney Cancer
Contributors
Dr. Neeraj Agarwal
Dr. Christopher Anderson
Dr. Karim Bensalah
Dr. Ari Hakimi
Dr. Raquibul Hannan
Dr. Vitaly Margulis