What Do You Know About Stage 1 Kidney Cancer?

Stage 1 kidney cancer occurs when a cancerous lesion or tumor is found in the kidney that is smaller than 7 centimeters or 2 ¾ inches (Sharecare website). Johns Hopkins Medicine reports roughly 30,000 cases of kidney cancer are discovered in the United States every year with just over 1/3 of them dying because of the disease. Those numbers reflect it's a rather uncommon cancer--the 8th most common for men and the 10th for women (Johns Hopkins Medicine).

Kidney cancer in general is most likely to be diagnosed between the ages of 50 and 70, with 85% of those diagnosed having a specific form of tumor called renal cell carcinoma.

Risk Factors for Kidney Cancer

As usual with many cancers, smoking tops the list of risk factors for kidney cancer. Another risk is consistent exposure to heavy metals such as lead. Finally, excessive use of commonly used, over the counter pain relievers can increase your risk for developing kidney cancer, according to the Johns Hopkins website.

Symptoms of Stage 1 Kidney Cancer

If you receive a diagnosis of stage 1 kidney cancer, the fact is that you are probably in luck. Why? Because the cancer is so small in stage 1, it hasn't yet spread to other parts of the body. Therefore, the survival rate is quite high, 95-100% at 5 years if the cancerous lesion is removed, according to Dr. Vance Wright-Browne, an oncologist in Port Charlotte, Florida.

Because stage 1 kidney cancer is the first phase of a cancer, a person who has stage 1 has no noticeable symptoms. The person wouldn't even know that they had the cancer, unless it was discovered by accident, which is another aspect of the luck mentioned earlier. Stage 1 kidney cancer is typically discovered rather serendipitously--a doctor might have suspected a problem with another organ and ordered a CAT scan that "found" the cancerous lesion on the kidney unexpectedly.

Unfortunately, kidney cancer is generally not discovered until it grows large enough to trigger symptoms such as fever, pain in the side beneath the ribs, and blood in the urine. Kidney cancer in its earliest stage wouldn't, therefore, trigger such symptoms, according to the Sharecare website.

Treatment for Stage 1 Kidney Cancer

There are several treatment possibilities for those who have stage 1 kidney cancer. Most likely, doctors will suggest you have a partial nephrectomy which is a fancy term for cutting away the tumor with a small amount of kidney tissue that surrounds it, thus removing the cancer from your body. It would be rare for a simple nephrectomy, or complete removal of 1 whole kidney to be necessary for stage 1 kidney cancer.

Also, rarely would any lymph nodes or adrenal glands need to be removed for stage 1 kidney cancer. Again, such removal wouldn't be necessary since a stage 1 cancer hasn't yet spread to other parts of the body.

Another treatment option is cryoablation. Cryoablation involves "freezing" the tumor with a needle. Still another method involves "radiofrequency ablation" which utilizes a current of electricity to shock and kill the cancer cells. Your doctor will most likely discuss your specific options with you, should you be diagnosed with stage 1 kidney cancer.

Of note is that some physicians recommend simply monitoring the stage 1 tumor over a period of months to see if it grows larger or remains the same, unobtrusive size over time. However, those who choose this method of "treatment" could be gambling with their own life: if the cancer grew and advanced to stage 3, for example, the 5 year survival rate drops to 50% (Dr. Wright-Browne conversation).

If you recognize any changes in urination such as a slight pinkish look to your urine, a pain in your side, unexplained fever or any other symptoms of concern, call your doctor to avoid more serious physical issues later. The safest avenue for your overall health is to have annual check-ups consistently.

Sources

Johns Hopkins Medicine website.

Personal communication with Dr. Vance Wright-Browne, oncologist.

Sharecare website.