Kidney Cancer Coming 'Sneak'

Acıbadem Dr. Sinasi Can (Kadıköy) Hospital Urology Specialist Assoc. Dr. Emre Karabay made evaluations about kidney cancer.

Assoc. Dr. Emre Karabay stated that since there is no screening program for kidney cancer today, the masses are mostly detected by chance in tests performed for another disease, and said, "The widespread use of ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in recent years allows kidney cancers to be detected at a much earlier stage."

Assoc. Dr. Emre Karabay said that for this reason, it is of great importance that regular health checks are not interrupted, especially after the age of 40, and that it is of great importance to consult a doctor without wasting time in case of any complaints.

Kidney cancers progress insidiously in the early stages without causing any complaints. Urology Specialist Assoc. Dr. Emre Karabay, the signals of this type of cancer in advanced stages; “Over time, bleeding in the urine, back or side pain, palpable mass in the abdomen, unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, anemia, fever of unknown origin, or high blood pressure can be seen,” he said.

Stating that the most important risk factors of kidney cancers are obesity, smoking and hypertension, Assoc. Dr. Emre Karabay said, “In addition, the incidence of kidney cancer is increasing in chronic kidney failure patients receiving dialysis treatment, those with a family history of kidney cancer, and some rare genetic diseases (such as von Hippel-Lindau disease, Birt Hogge Dube syndrome). Kidney cancers are about two times more common in men than women. It is thought that smoking habits and sexual hormones may have an effect on the fact that it is more common in men. he said.

If the tumor has not spread widely throughout the body, the first treatment option in kidney cancers is the surgical removal of the cancerous cell from the body. Very successful results are obtained from surgical treatment in cancers that are caught at an early stage, that is, at the stage where the cancer is only in the kidney. In patients who are suitable for the surgical method, it is sufficient to remove only the cancerous area while preserving the kidney. Urology Specialist Assoc. Dr. Emre Karabay said, “With this method, called partial nephrectomy, both the cancer is controlled and the functions of the kidney can be preserved. In this way, the risk of heart diseases that may develop in the later years of the patient also decreases.

In cases where the kidney cannot be preserved, the cancerous area can be removed together with the kidney and surrounding adipose tissue. Assoc. Dr. Emre Karabay, after the interviews with medical oncology specialists, in the tables where the cancer spreads to the body; He said that surgery was used again to reduce pain, stop bleeding or prolong life.

In recent years, the laparoscopic method is generally preferred in the surgical treatment of kidney cancer. Urology Specialist Assoc. Dr. Emre Karabay explained the benefits of the laparoscopic method as "In these operations performed through small holes opened in the abdomen or back, the patient's hospital stay is shorter, the amount of bleeding is less, the post-operative pain is less, and the wound site is smaller because it is only enough to remove the mass." .