Kidney Cancer in Wellington

Cancer of the kidney occurs when kidney cells become

malignant

and grow into a

tumour

. The most common type of kidney cancer is

renal cell carcinoma

. Sometimes kidney tumours do not have symptoms until they reach a large size. Symptoms can include blood in urine, a lump in the abdomen,

loss of appetite

,

weight loss

,

extreme fatigue

, incessant pain in abdomen,

anaemia

, unexplainable

fever

and swelling in the legs or ankles. A physical exam, medical history and tests will diagnose kidney cancer. Tests can include blood and urine,

intravenous pyelogram

(IVP),

ultrasound

,

CT

or

MRI

scan and a

renal arteriogram

. Specialists who treat kidney cancer are

nephrologists

,

urologists

, medical or

radiation oncologists

and

renal surgeons

. Surgeries can include a

nephrectomy

or partial nephrectomy. Treatment can include radiation or

chemotherapy

,

cryotherapy

,

immunotherapy

,

radiofrequency ablation

and

arterial embolization

.