For many middle-aged and elderly men, kidney cancer is one of the malignant tumors that need to be vigilant. Some people say that kidney cancer is characterized by “silent”, and many patients do not show symptoms until late. How to detect early kidney cancer? How to keep your kidneys healthy? The “Medical Line Observation” column of Chinanews.com invited Zhang Qian, chief physician of the Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital, to give a popular science interpretation on the topic of kidney cancer prevention and treatment.
——Obesity, alcoholism and smoking are the three risk factors for kidney cancer! Can young people get kidney cancer too?
“There are two types of kidney cancer, mainly sporadic, that is, non-hereditary, and a small amount of hereditary kidney cancer, which is not particularly common.” Zhang Qian said in a video interview with Chinanews.com.
In recent years, the incidence of kidney cancer in my country has been rising, and unhealthy eating habits and lifestyles deserve attention. Zhang Qian concluded that there are three risk factors for kidney cancer, including obesity, excessive alcohol intake, and smoking.
“We often see many obese patients. There is a thick layer of fat around the kidneys, and the fat is wrapped in kidney tumors. From the perspective of kidney cancer, among obese patients, kidney cancer The incidence of kidney cancer is relatively higher than that of healthy people. Smoking itself has a certain impact on kidney cancer. Excessive drinking can also increase the load on the kidneys, thereby increasing the risk of tumors.” He said.
Which types of people are at high risk of kidney cancer? Will young people get kidney cancer? Zhang Qian said that in my country, epidemiological survey results show that the peak age of incidence of kidney cancer is 50-60 years old. However, now the occurrence of tumors has also begun to appear younger, and some kidney cancer patients in their 20s and 30s have also been found in clinical practice.
He explained that the reasons behind it are very complicated. Nowadays, the degree of industrialization is getting higher and higher. For example, there may be PM2.5 in the inhaled air, factors such as drinking water and diet, coupled with high work pressure, etc., have led to the trend of younger kidney cancer.
——Physical examination can detect more than 90% of early kidney cancer! Should I pay attention to back pain?
The reporter learned that kidney cancer patients can have a variety of symptoms, but many patients do not develop symptoms until the disease develops to an advanced stage. When symptoms appear, approximately 25% of patients have either distant metastases or locally advanced disease.
For kidney cancer, early diagnosis and early treatment are very important. Zhang Qian reminds people in the workplace that whether they are 30, 40 or 50 years old, they should have a health checkup every year. The checkup generally covers the inspection items that can detect early kidney tumors. “Generally speaking, a very simple examination such as B-ultrasound can detect more than 90% of early-stage kidney cancers in a health checkup.”
Some netizens asked if the occurrence of hematuria in life is a reminder Related to kidney cancer? Zhang Qian explained that hematuria only occurs when the tumor invades the renal collecting system. If hematuria is found, attention must be paid to it, but in general, the correlation between hematuria and renal tumors is not so great. “The vast majority of renal cancers do not have hematuria as the first symptom.”
Many people often suffer from back pain. Is it a kidney problem? Zhang Qian said that in fact, the vast majority of low back pain is often caused by lumbar muscle strain, or caused by orthopedic lumbar disc herniation. Ordinary low back pain is generally superficial and manifested as muscle pain, which can be relieved by massage. The pain caused by kidney tumors is relatively dull and deep, and often cannot be relieved by massage. He reminded that, at the same time, you should be vigilant. If your waist is uncomfortable, you can go to the hospital for an examination to see if there is any kidney problem.
There is a tumor on the kidney, is it a tumor? Zhang Qian said that the vast majority of renal cysts are benign. If the tumor is a solid mass, and the patient is still a male, then nine out of ten are not good. If a woman grows this solid tumor on the kidney, there are two possibilities, one is kidney cancer, and the other is benign hamartoma.
——Have kidney cancer, the kidney will be removed?
I have kidney cancer, do I need to remove the entire kidney for treatment? Zhang Qian said that the first thing to look at is the size and location of the tumor. “It’s like an apple that rots. It rots on the apple’s flesh. Just shave it off, and the apple can still be eaten. But if the area of the apple is very large, or Its long position is right at the core of the apple, so the kidneys may not be preserved.”
He especially emphasized that the tumor must be detected early, which will give the urologist more opportunities to choose. The patient’s kidney was preserved and the malignant tumor was removed.
Many people think that after having kidney cancer, having a kidney removed will cause kidney deficiency, affect fertility or get uremia. Is this true? Zhang Qian said, in fact, this is a misunderstanding.
“The kidney is mainly an organ that produces urine, and a kidney can fully support the normal metabolism of our body. What is the premise? We must protect it. We must control our weight well and not drink too much. , we cannot have various chronic diseases, such as diabetes, high blood lipids, high blood pressure, etc., these diseases will damage our only one kidney.” He also said that it does not mean that having one kidney will inevitably lead to uremia, and most patients are in Uremia does not occur with postoperative protection of the contralateral kidney.
Zhang Qian reminded that for healthy people, to stay away from kidney cancer, they should maintain healthy eating habits, eat more vegetables and less meat, do not drink alcohol, and do not smoke. For kidney cancer patients, especially those who have had one kidney removed, they need to better control their weight, avoid eating some foods or drugs that damage kidney function, and do a good job of reexamination.