Rapid weight loss is kidney cancer?

Man goes to the doctor because of weight loss, discovers he has kidney cancer

A 51-year-old male patient, residing in Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh , with a history of good health, was hospitalized for weight loss (about 5kg) in one month.

The patient was clinically examined by doctors at Ninh Binh General Hospital and had necessary tests and imaging diagnostics performed. The abdominal CT scan revealed a left renal tumor measuring 4.5-5 cm and was diagnosed with a left renal tumor. Immediately after that, the patient was consulted and indicated for laparoscopic radical nephrectomy.

The patient underwent total nephrectomy, left ureterectomy, removal of all perirenal fat, and radical lymph node dissection. The surgery was successful, the patient had all drainage removed on the 3rd day, was able to walk normally, and was discharged after 5 days of treatment.

Kidney cancer images.

What causes kidney cancer ?

The cause of kidney cancer has not been confirmed, however there are many proven risk factors that can lead to kidney cancer such as:

- Smoking: This is one of the high-risk factors for kidney cancer. On average, about 30% of men and about 24% of women who smoke a lot of cigarettes will get this terrible disease.

- Due to chemical exposure: Many studies have shown that people who work in contact with these chemicals have a fairly high rate of disease, typically printing workers, chemical workers, dye workers or people who are regularly exposed to gasoline.

- Due to genetic factors: The disease can occur in many people in the same family. People with a missing segment of chromosome 3 or a translocation of chromosomes 3 and 8 will also have a fairly high rate of kidney cancer.

Symptoms of kidney cancer

Kidney cancer often does not cause any signs or symptoms, but sometimes symptoms can include: Blood in the urine; one-sided lower back pain (not caused by a collision or fall); a lump in the side of the back or in the lower back; feeling tired; weight loss, if not trying to lose weight; fever that is not caused by a cold and lasts a long time;...

However, to confirm kidney cancer, doctors prescribe some tests such as:

- Urine test: Urine is checked in a laboratory for blood or cancer cells.

- Blood tests: Blood chemistry tests show how well your kidneys are working. A complete blood count (CBC) measures the number of blood cells in your blood, such as white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. People with kidney cancer often have low red blood cell counts (this is called anemia).

- Chest X-ray: An X-ray may be done to see if the cancer has spread to the lungs.

- CT scan: Helps show whether cancer has spread.

- MRI scan: This test may be used to see if the cancer has spread.

- Ultrasound: This test can help show whether a mass in the kidney is solid or filled with fluid (kidney cancer is usually solid.) If a kidney biopsy is needed, ultrasound can be used to guide a needle into the mass to remove some cells for testing.

- Kidney biopsy: For most cancers, a biopsy is the only way to know for sure if cancer is present. But a biopsy is not always needed to know if you have kidney cancer. An X-ray or CT scan/MRI is sometimes enough.

Doctor's advice

Kidney cancer can affect the whole body with paraneoplastic syndromes, weight loss, hematuria, and ruptured kidney tumor causing acute bleeding.

The patient's prognosis depends largely on the stage of the disease when it is detected. In the early stages, the 5-year survival rate is about 60-80%, in the late stages this rate drops to 15-20%, and when there is metastasis, this rate is even lower.

Therefore, patients need to have regular health check-ups or when there are unusual symptoms to receive timely treatment.

To prevent kidney cancer, it is important to control risk factors including: Do not smoke; avoid exposure to chemicals; control systemic diseases such as obesity, diabetes; treat urinary system diseases such as urinary tract infections, urinary stones, kidney failure, etc. Regular health check-ups to detect early damage if any.

MSc. Dr. Nguyen Thi Huong

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/sut-can-nhanh-co-phai-ung-thu-than-172241003162027288.htm