大多数癌症都是以癌症最初发生的身体部位命名的, 肾癌也不例外. Kidney cancer begins in the kidneys—two large, bean-shaped organs—one located to the left, and the other to the right of the backbone. 肾在拉丁语中是肾脏的意思，肾癌也可以被称为肾癌.

根据美国癌症协会(ACS)的数据，美国约有81800人患有癌症.S. 预计在2023年将被诊断为肾癌和肾盂癌. The most common type is called renal cell cancer. The information contained on this page refers to renal cell cancer.

What are the risk factors for renal cell cancer?

The exact cause of renal cell cancer is unknown. However, there are certain risk factors that are linked to it. These risk factors, according to the ACS, are as follows:

• 吸烟. 吸烟 increases the risk of kidney cancer. The risk seems related to the amount you smoke.
• 石棉. Studies show a link between exposure to asbestos and kidney cancer.
• 镉. 在那里 may be a link between cadmium exposure and kidney cancer. 镉 may increase the cancer-causing effect of smoking.
• 家族病史. 家族病史 of kidney cancer increases a person's risk.
• 性别. Men are twice as likely to develop renal cell cancer than women.
• 希佩尔-林道综合征. 这是一种由基因突变引起的疾病，会增加患肾细胞癌的几率.
• Birt-Hogg-Dube综合症. 患有这种疾病的患者更有可能发展为肾细胞癌.
• 其他遗传性综合症. Patients with hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma, hereditary leiomyoma-renal cell carcinoma, 而遗传性肾癌细胞瘤更容易发展为肾癌.
• 肥胖. 肥胖 increases a person's risk of kidney cancer.
• 晚期肾病. 长期透析的晚期肾病患者有可能发展为肾细胞癌.
• 高血压. 高血压患者患肾癌的风险更高.
• 利尿剂(水丸). 消除过多体液的药物可能会增加患肾癌的风险, 虽然这还不清楚.
• 比赛. African-Americans have a slightly higher risk of kidney cancer.

What are the symptoms of renal cell cancer?

The following are the most common symptoms of renal cell cancer. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. 症状可能包括:

• 尿中带血
• 迅速的，无法解释的体重下降
• Low back pain (not caused by an injury)
• 食欲不振
• 脚踝和腿部肿胀
• Mass or lump on the side or lower back
• 乏力
• Recurrent fever (not caused by a cold or the flu)
• 高血压 (less frequently)
• 贫血(不常见)
• 疼痛无法缓解在侧面

肾细胞癌的症状可能类似于其他疾病或医学问题. Always consult your doctor for a diagnosis.

How is kidney cancer (renal cell cancer) diagnosed?

In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination, diagnostic procedures for kidney cancer may include the following:

• 血液和尿液化验
• 静脉肾盂造影(IVP). 肾脏的一系列x光片, 输尿管, 在膀胱静脉注射造影剂来检测肿瘤, 异常, 肾结石, 或者任何障碍, 并评估肾血流量.
• Renal angiography (also called arteriography). A series of X-rays with the injection of a contrast dye into a catheter, which is placed into the blood vessels of the kidney, 检测任何影响肾脏血液供应的堵塞或异常迹象.
• 其他影像学检查(显示病变组织和健康组织之间的差异), 包括以下内容:
• Computed tomography scan (also called a CT or CAT scan). A noninvasive type of X-ray procedure that takes horizontal, 或轴向, 大脑或其他内部器官的图像，以检测在普通x射线上可能无法显示的任何异常.
• 磁共振成像(MRI). 一种使用无线电波和强磁铁产生非常详细的内部器官或结构二维视图的非侵入性手术, 尤其是大脑和脊髓.
• 超声波(也叫超声). 一种使用高频声波和计算机生成血管图像的诊断成像技术, 组织, 和器官. Ultrasounds are used to view internal organs as they function, and to assess blood flow through various vessels.
• 胸部x光片. 一种使用不可见的电磁能量束产生内部组织图像的诊断测试, 骨头, 还有器官的影像.
• 骨扫描. 一种核成像方法，用于评估关节的任何退行性和/或关节炎变化，以检测骨疾病和肿瘤，以确定骨痛或炎症的原因.

Based on results of other tests and procedures, a biopsy may be needed. 活组织检查是一种将肿瘤样本取出并由病理学家送到实验室进行检查的过程.

What are the different types of kidney cancer?

The main type of kidney cancer is called renal cell carcinoma (RCC). 关于 9 out of 10 kidney cancer tumors are this type. 如果你患有这种类型的肾癌，你可能在一个或两个肾脏有不止一个肿瘤. These may be large by the time they are diagnosed. 但大多数肾癌病例是在癌症扩散到其他器官之前发现的.

碾压混凝土有不同的类型. 一个叫做病理学家的医疗保健提供者通过在显微镜下观察癌细胞来识别这些类型. 碾压混凝土的类型包括:

• 透明细胞. 这是最常见的碾压混凝土类型. 癌细胞看起来苍白或透明.
• 乳头状. This is the second most common type of RCC. This type of tumor has tiny fingerlike growths.
• Chromophobe. 这是一种罕见的RCC. The cells are larger than other types of RCC.
• 透明细胞乳头状. 最近发现的通常侵袭性较低的肾癌变种
• 收集管. 这也是一种罕见的RCC形式. The cancer cells look like irregular tubes.
• 不保密的. This includes tumors that have cells from more than 1 type of cancer. 它还包括含有不属于其他类别的细胞的肿瘤.

其他类型的肾癌

Other less-common types of kidney cancers include:

• 移行细胞癌. 这也被称为尿路上皮癌，与其他肾癌不同, forms in the tubes that drain the kidney. 这些管道与膀胱有相同的衬里，因此这种类型的肾癌可以表现和看起来像膀胱癌.
• 霍奇金病的肿瘤. This cancer most always occurs in children. 这在成人中非常罕见.
• 肾肉瘤. This is a very rare type of kidney cancer. It begins in the blood vessels and connective 肾脏周围组织s.

不是癌症的肾肿瘤

在那里 are several types of kidney tumors that are not cancer (benign). These include renal cell adenoma, renal oncocytoma, and angiomyolipoma. 嗜瘤细胞瘤是最常见的良性肿瘤，但通常难以与肾癌区分. 所有这些良性肿瘤仍可能影响肾功能，并可引起疼痛和其他症状. But the cells usually do not spread to other organs.

如何治疗肾癌?

肾癌的具体治疗方法将由您的医生根据以下情况确定:

• Your age, overall health, and medical history
• 疾病的范围
• Your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
• Expectations for the course of the disease
• 你的意见或偏好

治疗包括:

• 手术切除肿瘤或肾切除术是肾癌最常见的治疗方法. 这些手术可以进行微创(腹腔镜或机器人)或开放手术. The following are different types of nephrectomy procedures:
• 根除性肾脏切除手术. 整个肾脏(肿瘤在里面)和肾上腺一起被切除, 肾脏周围组织, 有时, 这个区域的淋巴结. This is usually performed for larger tumors. 如果这样做，剩下的肾脏通常能够完成两个肾脏的工作.
• 简单的肾切除术. 只有肾脏被切除了.
• 部分切除. Only the part of the kidney that contains the tumor is removed. This is the preferred for smaller localized tumors.

其他疗法

• 消融治疗. 在精心挑选的患者中使用热能治疗小肿瘤是一种侵入性较小的选择. This is usually done with image guidance such as CT.
• 放射治疗. 放射治疗 uses high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells, 有时也用于缓解肾癌扩散到骨骼时的疼痛.
• 靶向治疗. 靶向治疗 uses drugs that attack specific parts of cancer cells. These drugs work differently from standard chemotherapy drugs, and often have less severe side effects. They are commonly the first line of treatment for advanced kidney cancer. 例子包括舒尼替尼(索坦), 索拉非尼(多吉美), temsirolimus(一), everolimus (Afinitor), bevacizumab (Avastin) and pazopanib (Votrient).
• Biological therapy (also called immunotherapy). 生物疗法是一种利用人体自身免疫系统对抗癌症的疗法.
• 化疗. 化疗 is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Unfortunately, kidney cancer is often resistant to chemotherapy drugs.
• 动脉栓塞. 动脉栓塞是一种将一小块特殊的明胶海绵, 或者其他材料, are injected through a catheter to clog the main renal blood vessel. 这个手术通过剥夺肿瘤生长所需的携带氧气的血液和其他物质来缩小肿瘤. It may also be used before an operation to make surgery easier, 或者在无法切除肿瘤时缓解疼痛.

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with kidney cancer, you may want to consider getting a second opinion. 事实上，一些保险公司对这种诊断需要第二意见. 根据美国癌症学会, 征求第二意见的时间很少会对你的治疗产生负面影响. 第二种意见提供的内心平静可能是非常值得的.