Spotlight on kidney cancer The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist and are part of the renal system. They are located just below the rib cage, one on each side of your spine. Kidneys perform many crucial functions including filtering blood, removing waste as urine and the creation of hormones that help produce red blood cells.
In 2020 it is estimated:
2.9%
men
of all newly diagnosed cancers in Australia
are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed as women
4,100+ diagnoses
of kidney cancer in Australia
What is kidney cancer? Kidney cancer generally refers to renal cell cancer, which develops in the lining of the small tubes in the kidney. There is usually just a single tumour in one kidney, but sometimes there may be more than one tumour, or tumours in both kidneys. Kidney cancer can be subdivided into several different types, based on the appearance of the cancer cells under a microscope as well as other genetic factors. About 90% of kidney cancers are renal cell cancer, and the most common subtype is clear cell renal cancer. Other types of kidney cancers include: • Urothelial cancer of the renal pelvis and ureter starting in either the ureter (the long tube that connects the kidney to the bladder) or the renal pelvis (the top part of the ureter, where it connects to the kidney). The renal pelvis and ureters are lined with transitional cells, which can develop into cancer cells. These cancers behave more like bladder cancers than kidney cancers and are treated like bladder cancer.
46 A LITTLE BELOW THE BELT
• W ilms tumours usually occur in children rather than adults; about 90% of kidney cancers in children are Wilms tumours. These tumours are often not detected until they are quite large, but most are found before they have spread to other organs. • R enal sarcomas, which are rare, begin in the blood vessels or other types of tissue in the kidney. Other types of tumours in the kidneys are benign – that is, they do not spread (metastasise) to other parts of the body. Kidney cancer has become increasingly more commonly diagnosed and survival rates continue to improve. This cancer is the 7th most diagnosed cancer in Australia and in 2020 it is estimated there will be 4,193 new cases of kidney cancer diagnosed (2,755 males and 1,438 females). Kidney cancer is rare in people under 40 but risk does increase with age. Also, men are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with kidney cancer as women.
