Kidney cancer
Overview
Globally, around 208,500 new cases of kidney cancer are diagnosed each year, accounting for 2% of all cancers. In Cyprus, kidney cancer ranks 15th, with approximately 100 new cases per year. Renal cancer, is the most prevalent type of kidney cancer in adults, accounting for about 90% of all kidney cancer cases.
Your risk of developing kidney cancer increases as you age, with individuals who are 75 years old being at the peak age of diagnosis. However, nearly half of all cases are diagnosed before the age of 65. Men are also twice as likely to develop kidney cancer than women. Even though what precisely causes kidney cancer is unknown, certain lifestyle factors increase your risk. These include smoking, exposure to chemical carcinogens, certain viruses, maintaining a poor diet, obesity, hypertension, and alcohol consumption. Only a small percentage of kidney cancer cases have been linked to genetic factors. Daily physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight and a healthy diet are proven to lower the chances of developing kidney cancer.
Diagnosis
Kidney masses are frequently incidental findings when a patient has an ultrasound or abdominal CT due to other abdominal complaints. More than 60% of renal cell carcinoma cases are incidental findings during imaging studies.
There are many steps before arriving to the exact diagnosis of a kidney tumor. The first step your doctors will recommend if they suspect a tumor involves medical imaging. This helps your medical team assess whether the tumor is most likely benign or malignant. A tumors’ size, shape, appearance and most importantly contrast enhancement, meaning how much contrast they absorb during imaging, are a good indication of its malignancy. Based on their imaging analysis, tumors are categorized into simple cysts, complex cysts, or solid tumors. Simple cysts can safely be monitored over time if the patient does not have any other symptoms. However, any mass which is not clearly a simple cyst, should be investigated further through alternate imaging techniques. Your doctor will likely recommend either a computed tomography (CT) study of the abdomen, administered with and without IV contrast, or an abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Since kidney cancer often spreads first to the lungs, a chest X-ray or CT scan may be recommended. The diagnosis of kidney cancer, and specifically renal cancer, is confirmed through an image-guided biopsy. This biopsy also gives your medical team more information about the cellular and molecular characteristics of the cancer, which will help them determine the best treatment plan for your case.
Treatment
Every step in the diagnostic procedure helps the GMI team tailor each treatment plan to each patient, taking into consideration your individual case and personal preferences. To determine the best course of action each patient’s case is discussed in a multidisciplinary tumor board where several experts from our team come together to create your comprehensive treatment plan.
Treatment plans vary greatly depending on the type, stage and spread of the disease. For most cases of kidney cancer, surgery is the first step, as kidney cancer does not often respond to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. For cases where the cancer remains localized, a dedicated team of surgeons or radiation oncologists will eradicate the tumor using the most modern treatment options. For cases where the cancer is at a more advanced stage, our Medical Oncology team will propose the best treatment plan for each patient, which will include the newest regimen of systemic therapies like targeted therapy, chemotherapy and / or immunotherapy.
Why GMI
At the GMI German Oncology Center, a dedicated team of internationally acclaimed physicians guides each kidney cancer patient through their entire journey, from their diagnostic work-up to their treatment and post-treatment care.
The GMI team will never offer a simple “one size fits all” approach to any patient. We believe each patient’s case is as individual as they are and strive to find the best solution for each of our patients, taking their specific case and diagnosis, their lifestyle, and choices into account.
We believe each of our patients is more than their diagnosis. That’s why our dedicated paramedics team supports kidney cancer patients on their journey by offering more than just expert medical care. We offer psychological help, integrative oncology services (including yoga classes, and acupuncture) and have a GMI Patient Advocacy Program.
Adhering to our passion for innovation, and desire to progress the medical field, the GMI German Oncology Center both initiates and participates in several clinical trials in which the most modern and advanced treatment concepts are tested.
