Kidney cancer begins in the kidneys and goes by the name renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but there are several subtypes of RCC. Cancer is the result of cells in the body growing out of control. Kidney cancer is one of the top 10 common cancer that affect people, particularly in men and women over the age of 60. Because symptoms of RCC take a while to form, kidney cancer is difficult to detect.
Knowing what the lesser known symptoms and signs of kidney cancer are can help with earlier detection and keep the cancer from spreading to other organs.
About Kidneys
Before you can understand the symptoms of kidney cancer, it’s essential to know a little about the kidneys and their function. The kidneys are bean-shaped organs that come in a pair and are normally the size of a fist. They are attached to the back wall of the abdomen, gaining protection from the lower ribs. Your left kidney is a little higher than the right.
The kidneys filter blood that come in through the renal arteries and help with removing excess water, waste, and salt products. Those substances turn to urine. The urine travels from the kidneys to the bladder via thin tubes called ureters. From the bladder, urine travels down the urethra during urination.
Kidneys also have two other jobs:
• Helping the body store enough red blood cells by creating the hormone called erythropoietin (EPO).
• Controlling blood pressure with the hormone called renin.
Now that you’ve gained some knowledge about the kidneys, let’s move on.
