Each year, about 81,800 Americans receive a kidney cancer diagnosis. If you have risk factors for kidney cancer, there are steps you can take to improve your kidney health and avoid cancer-related complications.
At Urology Specialist Group, our highly skilled urologists provide diagnostic testing and treatment services for kidney cancer.
We also specialize in preventive resources protecting your long-term kidney health from cancer and other diseases.
Understanding your kidney cancer risk factors
Your kidneys are responsible for filtering toxins and waste out of your blood. Kidney cancer occurs when abnormal cells in the organs multiply and grow out of control. The cells eventually form a mass known as a tumor.
The medical community doesn’t understand the root cause of kidney cancer. However, there are known risk factors that can increase the likelihood you’ll develop the disease. Factors that can influence your risk for kidney cancer include:
- Chronic kidney disease
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Exposure to asbestos and other environmental toxins
You may also be at high risk for kidney cancer if you have close family members with the disease or if you have a history of other types of cancer.
Controlling your cancer risk factors
While certain cancer risks aren’t preventable, such as your family history, there are many factors you can control. The earlier you start making changes that support your kidney health, the better your chances are for cancer prevention.
Our urology team can recommend specific strategies you can use to lower your kidney cancer risk. Our physicians suggest that you take measures like quitting smoking and losing weight to achieve a healthy body mass index (BMI).
If you have uncontrolled blood pressure, speak with our team about relaxation techniques you can use to lower your blood pressure naturally. You might also need to take medications to control your blood pressure when lifestyle changes aren’t enough.
When you work around asbestos and other dangerous materials that can lead to kidney cancer, be sure to take the appropriate precautions. You should also schedule preventive cancer screenings with our team if you’ve been exposed to environmental toxins.
What to expect during a kidney cancer screening
While there are no screening guidelines for kidney cancer, our providers determine which tests you need based on your cancer risk factors and overall health.
A preventive kidney cancer screening may include one or more tests to assess the function of your kidneys and identify precancerous or cancerous cells. Your preventive screening might involve:
- Urine test
- Computed tomography (CT) scan
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
If these tests indicate abnormalities that occur with cancer, you may also need a biopsy. During this surgical procedure, our team removes a sample of tissue from your kidneys to check for cancer cells under a microscope.
When cancer is present in the kidneys, our specialists discuss the next steps you need to take to prevent cancer from spreading.
Available treatments for kidney cancer include radiofrequency ablation, a procedure to destroy cancer cells with heat. We also offer cryotherapy, a minimally invasive treatment that uses cold energy to freeze cancerous cells in the kidneys.
Call the Urology Specialist Group office in Hialeah or Miami Lakes, Florida, to schedule a kidney cancer consultation if you’re at high risk for the disease, or book an appointment online today.
Kila mwaka, watu 81,800 nchini Marekani hupatikana na ugonjwa wa kansa ya figo. Ikiwa una hatari ya kupata saratani ya figo, kuna hatua unazoweza kuchukua ili kuboresha afya ya figo na kuepuka matatizo yanayohusiana na saratani. Katika Urology Group, wataalamu wetu wa upasuaji wa mkojo wenye ujuzi hutoa huduma za upimaji na matibabu ya kansa ya figo. Pia, tunatoa huduma za kuzuia magonjwa ya figo na magonjwa mengine. Kuelewa sababu za hatari ya kansa ya figo figo yako ni jukumu la kuficha sumu na taka kutoka kwa damu yako. Saratani ya figo hutokea wakati chembe zisizo za kawaida katika viungo hizo zinapozidi kuongezeka na kukua bila kudhibitiwa. Hatimaye chembe hizo hufanyiza chembe inayoitwa uvimbe. Jumuiya ya kitiba haelewi kisababishi kikuu cha kansa ya figo. Hata hivyo, kuna mambo yanayojulikana ya hatari ambayo yanaweza kuongeza uwezekano wa kuambukizwa ugonjwa huo. Vipengele vinavyoweza kuathiri hatari yako ya kansa ya figo ni pamoja na: - Ugonjwa wa figo sugu - shinikizo la damu la juu (hypertension) - Kuambukizwa na asbestos na sumu nyingine za mazingira Unaweza pia kuwa na hatari kubwa ya kansa ya figo ikiwa una washiriki wa karibu wa familia na ugonjwa huo au ikiwa una historia ya aina nyingine za kansa. Kudhibiti sababu zako za hatari ya kansa Ingawa hatari fulani za kansa haziwezi kuzuiwa, kama vile historia yako ya familia, kuna sababu nyingi ambazo unaweza kudhibiti. Kadiri unavyoanza kufanya mabadiliko ya afya ya figo, ndivyo unavyozidi kuwa na nafasi ya kuzuia saratani. Timu yetu ya Urolojia inaweza kupendekeza mikakati maalum ambayo unaweza kutumia kupunguza hatari yako ya kansa ya figo. Wataalamu wa afya wanasema kuwa ni muhimu kuacha kuvuta sigara na kupunguza uzito ili uwe na BMI ya kutosha. Ikiwa una shinikizo la damu lisilodhibitiwa, zungumza na timu yetu juu ya mbinu za kupumzika ambazo unaweza kutumia kupunguza shinikizo lako la damu kwa asili. Huenda pia ukahitaji kutumia dawa za kudhibiti shinikizo lako la damu wakati mabadiliko ya mtindo wa maisha hayatoshi. Wakati wa kufanya kazi karibu na asbestos na vifaa vingine hatari vinavyoweza kusababisha kansa ya figo, hakikisha kuchukua tahadhari zinazofaa. Unapaswa pia kupanga uchunguzi wa kuzuia kansa na timu yetu ikiwa umekuwa ukikabiliwa na sumu za mazingira. Wakati wa uchunguzi wa saratani ya figo, wataalamu wa matibabu huamua ni vipimo gani unavyohitaji kulingana na sababu zako za hatari ya saratani na afya yako kwa ujumla. Uchunguzi wa kuzuia kansa ya figo unaweza kujumuisha uchunguzi mmoja au zaidi ili kutathmini kazi ya figo zako na kutambua seli za kabla ya kansa au kansa. Uchunguzi wa kuzuia unaweza kuhusisha: - Uchunguzi wa mkojo - Uchunguzi wa tomografia ya kompyuta (CT) - Uchunguzi wa MRI - Ikiwa vipimo hivi vinaonyesha kasoro zinazotokea na kansa, unaweza pia kuhitaji upasuaji wa viungo. Wakati wa upasuaji huu, timu yetu huondoa sampuli ya tishu kutoka figo zako ili kuangalia kwa seli za kansa chini ya darubini. Wakati kansa iko katika figo, wataalamu wetu kujadili hatua zifuatazo unahitaji kuchukua ili kuzuia kansa kuenea. Matibabu yanayopatikana kwa kansa ya figo yanatia ndani kuondolewa kwa seli za kansa kwa kutumia joto. Cryotherapy ni matibabu ya chini ya uvamizi ambayo hutumia nishati baridi kuhifadhi seli za kansa katika figo. Piga simu ofisi ya Urology Specialist Group huko Hialeah au Miami Lakes, Florida, kupanga mkutano wa kansa ya figo ikiwa una hatari kubwa ya ugonjwa huo, au kitabu miadi mtandaoni leo.