Tumor of the kidney: diagnosis and treatment

Tumor of the kidney is a pathological proliferation of the organ tissue, characterized by a qualitative change in cells. Tumors are benign and malignant. It is noted that benign kidney tumors are not found as often as malignant tumors. Men are sick more often than women. In children, malignant changes in the kidneys are mostly of a mixed nature and are called "Wilms tumor".

Benign tumors differ from malignant by slow, expansive growth. In addition, benign tumors do not germinate in neighboring organs and tissues. With regard to malignant formations, they are characterized by rapid, infiltrating( with germination in neighboring organs) growth.

Why tumors appear

There is no reliable data on the cause of tumors.

There are only a number of carcinogenic factors, which, presumably, contribute to the development of tumors:

• heredity;
• inadequate immunity;
• smoking, alcohol;
• the effect of radiation;
• unfavorable ecological situation;
• hormonal disorders;
• long-term use in food of harmful products containing GMOs, preservatives and colorants.

How to recognize the disease

There are the following symptoms of a kidney tumor:

1. Pain in the lumbar region.
2. Hematuria( blood in the urine).
3. Enlargement of the kidney( with palpation).
4. Arterial hypertension.
5. Periodic increase in temperature to 38 C.
6. Loss of body weight, lethargy, apathy, weakness, decreased appetite.
7. Edema, signs of varicose veins.
8. Varicocele.

Symptoms of a kidney tumor that allow one to establish themselves in a diagnosis:

Patients have symptoms of intoxication, nausea, headaches and weakness. The rise in temperature to subfebrile digits is observed, as a rule, in the evenings. Urine can become turbid, with a deposit, in the study protein and salts( urate, oxalate, phosphate) are found. Sometimes there is an admixture of blood( hematuria).

Loss of appetite due to intoxication leads to weight loss. Anemia can also develop due to the oppression of bone marrow functions due to toxic effects of the tumor. In the blood there is an increase in ESR, which is the most frequent manifestation of this disease.

Hematuria is due to the increase in the size of the growing tumor, by squeezing the vessels in the kidney. The tumor can sprout into the parenchyma of the kidney, destroying the tissues. In this case, such a hematuria is not painful, patients do not observe any unpleasant sensations associated with the release of blood clots in the urine.

One of the main symptoms of a malignant tumor of the kidney is varicocele on the affected side. The growth of the tumor leads to compression of the renal vein, as well as the germination of the tumor. In this case, the venous outflow is disrupted and varicose veins of the spermatic cord take place. The presence of this symptom in patients, especially the elderly, should always cause the doctor to suspect a kidney tumor.

A characteristic feature of renal tumors is metastasis. Metastases in this case most often affect the lungs and bones. With kidney cancer in the last stages, with the appearance of metastases, hemoptysis resembles a picture of tuberculosis and persistent, persistent pains in the bones and spine that are not suppressed by any anesthetic agents.

Symptoms of a tumor of the right kidney are characterized by complaints of the patient for pain in the right lumbar region, soreness when palpating this particular kidney, increasing or decreasing its size, varicocele on this side.

When a tumor of the left kidney is detected, the same complaints are noted, only on the left side. In addition, when performing a cystoscopy, it is possible to detect a villous tumor in the ureter on the right or left, which indicates the presence of a tumor in this side.

In addition, patients complain of pain in the lower back, legs. The appearance of edema is often accompanied by high blood pressure. Skin pale, dry, get a yellowish color. Itching may occur, so often the skin of the patients has traces of scratching. Often there is an ammonia smell due to uremia.

Diagnosis of a kidney tumor

When diagnosing this case, the following methods for diagnosing a kidney tumor are used:

• Examination, palpation.
• Laboratory tests of blood and urine( clinical analysis, biochemistry).
• ultrasound, CT of the abdominal cavity and kidneys( separately).
• Angiography.
• Radiography of OGC, since renal tumors often give metastases to the chest.
• Scintigraphy method. This study is carried out strictly for medical reasons, if absolutely necessary, since a radioactive substance is used.
• Kidney biopsy. This method allows you to accurately determine the nature of the neoplasm. A biopsy is performed under local or general anesthesia.

How to deal with

The treatment of a tumor in the kidney depends on the nature of the tumor, the size of the tumor, the degree of damage and the general condition of the patient's body. If the benign tumor in the kidney is small, grows slowly or there is no growth at all, then probably the observation of the tumor state. In this case it is a question of regular observation by a specialist - an oncologist. Also, it is necessary to do ultrasound and computer study of the kidney( CT).

It is very important to show the doctor at the appointed time, without postponing or delaying visits to the doctor "for later".It is necessary to strictly follow all the doctor's recommendations, take the necessary tests and observe a strict diet, which the doctor will appoint.

Sometimes doctors can decide to remove a part of the kidney, i.e.her piece. In this case, we are talking about a kidney resection, when the organ itself is preserved. The affected area of ​​the kidney is excised by the traditional surgical method or a laparoscopic operation is performed. When surgical intervention, antibiotics are prescribed, the sutures are removed after 7-10 days.

Laparoscopic removal of the tumor is bloodless, as the skin is not dissected, there are no post-operative scars, seams, etc. In addition, the period of rehabilitation of patients is shortened.

The important role of preventive examinations of

One should not forget that a benign tumor can "degenerate" into a malignant one. This happens under the influence of various factors( stress, hormonal imbalance, etc.), so later a doctor can be fatal.

Therefore, sometimes a decision is made about nephrectomy, when the kidney is completely removed. Such a radical method of treatment is used in cases when the tumor reaches too large a size or the nature of the tumor is malignant. In this case, as a rule, the organ is removed completely. Radiation therapy and( or) chemotherapy are then prescribed.

It should be noted that even after surgery to remove the tumor, with removal of the organ or without removal, there is a risk of recurrence. This is a characteristic feature of the nature of malignant tumors, a scientific explanation for which still does not exist.

However, this does not mean that the relapse should necessarily appear, after some time, after the operation. Everything depends on the state of the organism, its immunity, the surrounding environment and the influencing external and internal factors.

Patients who underwent an operation to remove the kidney tumor should be careful about their health and in time to undergo scheduled examinations with qualified specialists.