Dr. Ryan P. Doran talks about the treatments available for kidney cancer.

Exciting new research by Cancer Research UK scientists at the Francis Crick Institute has investigated the evolution of kidney cancer - how it grows from a small clump of diseased cells into a tumour, and how that tumour can start to spread.
Their evolutionary mapping of kidney cancer has helped them reclassify the disease into seven distinct subtypes, each with their own evolutionary characteristics. And the traits from these seven subtypes can help doctors get a better idea of which cancers have a higher risk of coming back after treatment and spreading.

References:
-Campbell, Peter J et al., Cell (2018): "Timing the landmark events in the evolution of clear cell renal cell carcinoma" DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.02.020
- Swanton, Charles et al., Cell (2018): "Deterministic evolutionary trajectories influence primary tumour growth, TRACERx Renal" DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.03.043
- Swanton, Charles et al., Cell (2018): "Tracking cancer evolution reveals constrained routes to metastases: TRACERx Renal" DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.03.057

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Chapters

0:00 Introduction
1:18 causes of Renal Cell Carcinoma
2:10 symptoms of Renal Cell Carcinoma
2:29 Diagnosis and treatment
4:12 Treatment


Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a kidney cancer that originates in the lining of the proximal convoluted tubule, a part of the very small tubes in the kidney that transport primary urine. RCC is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults, responsible for approximately 90–95% of cases.[1] RCC occurrence shows a male predominance over women with a ratio of 1.5:1. RCC most commonly occurs between 6th and 7th decade of life.[2]

Initial treatment is most commonly either partial or complete removal of the affected kidney(s).[3] Where the cancer has not metastasised (spread to other organs) or burrowed deeper into the tissues of the kidney, the five-year survival rate is 65–90%,[4] but this is lowered considerably when the cancer has spread.

The body is remarkably good at hiding the symptoms and as a result people with RCC often have advanced disease by the time it is discovered.[5] The initial symptoms of RCC often include blood in the urine (occurring in 40% of affected persons at the time they first seek medical attention), flank pain (40%), a mass in the abdomen or flank (25%), weight loss (33%), fever (20%), high blood pressure (20%), night sweats and generally feeling unwell.[1] When RCC metastasises, it most commonly spreads to the lymph nodes, lungs, liver, adrenal glands, brain or bones.[6] Immunotherapy and targeted therapy have improved the outlook for metastatic RCC.[7][8]

RCC is also associated with a number of paraneoplastic syndromes (PNS) which are conditions caused by either the hormones produced by the tumour or by the body's attack on the tumour and are present in about 20% of those with RCC.[1] These syndromes most commonly affect tissues which have not been invaded by the cancer.[1] The most common PNSs seen in people with RCC are: high blood calcium levels, high red blood cell count, high platelet count and secondary amyloidosis.[6]