March Is Kidney Cancer Awareness Month
March Is Kidney Cancer Awareness Month
March Is Marked As The Renal Cancer Awareness Month
Kidney cancer is the third most common genitourinary cancer in adults. There are approximately 54,000 new cancer cases every year in the United States alone. Also, the incidence of kidney cancer is on the rise.
March is National Kidney Cancer Awareness Month. If you or someone you love has been affected by this disease — among the 10 most common cancers in both men and women in the United States — March is a great time to get involved and start advocating.
Kidney Cancer Awareness Month is meant to encourage us all to check up on our kidney health, which includes getting a kidney screening and having a conversation with our doctor about the risks involved.
Kidney cancer tends to occur most commonly in people over the age of 40 and is more common in men than in women. Most kidney cancers transpire spontaneously, even if some of them are linked with hereditary conditions, including Von Hippel-Lindau disease and hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma.
Kidney Cancer Risk Factors
We can group the risks for renal cancer in three distinct groups:
Lifestyle-related factors – Smoking, obesity, and workplace exposure to certain toxins are all linked to an increased risk of forming kidney cancer.
Genetic and hereditary factors – People with a family history of kidney cancer have a much higher risk of developing the disease. Those with certain pre-existing hereditary conditions like Von Hippel-Lindau disease are also considered to be in the high-risk group.
Race and gender factors – African Americans and American Indians/Alaska Natives have somewhat higher rates of the disease than other races. Kidney cancer is also about twice as common in men as in women.
Some of the main symptoms of kidney cancer can include blood in the urine, abdominal mass, back or flank pain, weight loss, and anemia. If you or a loved one is experiencing any of these symptoms, visit your doctor immediately.
Kidney Cancer Statistics
Kidneys are highly complex filtering systems. They process roughly half a cup of blood every minute, separating waste and returning minerals and nutrients back to the bloodstream. Renal cell carcinoma, cancer that develops in the lining of the renal tubules, is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults, representing 85 percent of kidney and ureter cancers.
Other types of kidney and ureter cancer can develop in the renal pelvis, the funnel where urine flows from the kidney to the bladder. Kidney and renal pelvis cancer are estimated to affect over 73,000 people in the United States every year, and nearly 15,000 individuals died from the disease in the year 2019. Roughly 65 percent of kidney and renal pelvis cancers are diagnosed when the cancer is still localized. For these patients, the five-year relative survival is high- well over 92%.
However, if the disease is found after it has metastasized to distant parts of the body, the five-year relative survival is as low as 12%. Studies have shown that renal cell carcinoma is one of the most likely cancers to spread to the brain.
What Can We Do To Reduce The Risk And Raise Awareness Of Kidney Cancer?
The National Cancer Institute estimates that there were over 500,000 individuals living with kidney and renal pelvis cancer in 2016. Despite progress in kidney cancer research, the mortality rate has remained relatively unchanged in recent years, and new advances in this space are needed to reduce the burden from this disease.
Get a kidney health screening
Screening is important, even if you feel OK. Early-stage kidney cancer doesn’t cause symptoms. Along with scheduling your own screening, encourage your family members and friends to get screenings, too.
Wear an orange ribbon
Show your support by wearing an orange ribbon during the month of March. People might not be aware that orange represents awareness of kidney cancer. Wearing an orange ribbon or pin on your shirt can start a conversation and move others to show their support, too.