Guide To The Major Types Of Kidney Cancer And Tumors

Wilms' Tumor

Wilms' tumor is a form of kidney cancer that primarily affects young children. Around ninety percent of all childhood kidney cancer cases are diagnosed as Wilms' tumor. The average age of diagnosis is between three and four years old. This form of kidney cancer is rarely seen in children over five years old. Wilms' tumors tend to grow in just one kidney or are considered unilateral. Only between five and ten percent of affected children have bilateral cases of Wilms' tumor, where it affects both kidneys.

The exact causes of Wilms' tumor are not known. However, hereditary genetic factors and specific congenital syndromes are known to play a role in some cases. Symptoms include a palpable abdominal mass, abdominal pain, abdominal swelling, hematuria, constipation, fever, vomiting, nausea, appetite loss, breathlessness, and high blood pressure. Diagnosis is made with urine, blood, and diagnostic imaging tests. Treatment for Wilms' tumor is individualized and may include surgical excision, kidney removal, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

Lymphoma

Primary renal lymphoma describes a type of cancerous tumor beginning in an individual's kidney that is the result of the proliferation of lymphoid cells. This type of kidney cancer is a form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It is characterized by an absence of lymphatic disease beyond the patient's kidneys. Less than one percent of all types of cancerous kidney lesions are diagnosed as lymphoma. The process of primary renal lymphoma development is not entirely clear. However, it is thought that cancer originates in the renal capsule before moving to the renal parenchyma.

The most prevalent risk factor for this type of kidney cancer is the presence of chronic infectious or inflammatory diseases. Examples of such conditions are Sjogren's syndrome, Epstein-Barr virus, pyelonephritis, and systemic erythematous lupus. Most individuals diagnosed with primary renal lymphoma are men and close to sixty years old. Primary renal lymphoma is usually a unilateral form of kidney cancer. The bilateral form is very rare. Kidney tissue biopsy, blood testing, and diagnostic imaging are used to make a primary renal lymphoma diagnosis. The first-line treatment usually includes systemic chemotherapy.