Renal Cancer Clinical Resource Area - Disease Overview

• There are two kidneys. Each kidney weighs about 5 -6 ounces and lies against the vertebrae and lower ribs. The kidneys lie behind the liver and colon on the right side and the stomach and pancreas on the left side
• The kidneys are usually supplied each by a renal artery from the aorta and single renal vein draining into the inferior vena cava
• The ureter is a muscular tube that drains urine from the kidney into the bladder
• The kidneys are responsible for making urine and functions to control blood salt and water balance and removal of waste products
• Blood flows to the kidney through the renal artery. The blood is filtered to remove water and waste products. This is a specialized function that is regulated by hormones, nerves and salt concentrations in the body.

• Accounts for less than 3% of all cancers
• According to the American Cancer Society,an estimated 38,000 new cases and 12,840 deaths from kidney cancer will occur in 2006
• Men are twice as likely to be affected as women
• Rate of incidence and death continue to slow rise
• Third most common genitourinary malignancy
• Occurs in sporadic, inherited and noninherited forms

• Smoking
• Obesity
• Diet (well cooked meat)
• Analgesic abuse
• Trichloroethylene exposure
• Cadium exposure
• Cystic disease of the kidney in the setting of end stage renal disease
• Von-hippel Lindau Syndrome (VHL)
• Birt-Hogg-Dube Syndrome

Prevention and Screening
There are no standard screening recommendations for the general population for early detection of renal cancer. People who are affected by VHL, should undergo periodical screening such as renal ultrasounds and/orCT scans of abdomen and pelvis. Careful surveillance of patients with end stage renal disease with ultrasound and CT scans is also recommended.

Avoiding the above risk factors such as smoking, obesity, analgesic use and dietary modifications may decrease the risk of developing renal cancer.