7 Myths About Kidney Cancer, Debunked

Kidney cancer may well be the least-known common cancer in the U.S. An estimated 81,800 new cases will be diagnosed this year, according to the American Cancer Society. In 2022, the disease was the eighth most common cancer, occurring more frequently than leukemia and thyroid cancer. Yet, when people are diagnosed, their reaction is often, “I didn’t even know you could get cancer of the kidneys,” says Dr. Alice C. Fan, an assistant professor of medicine in the division of oncology at Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, Calif. Humans have two fist-sized kidneys (shaped like the eponymous beans)—one on each side of the body. They’re located below your rib cage, toward your back. And every day, the kidney’s million or so tiny filters process about 200 quarts of blood, removing toxins, excess minerals, and water, which become urine. The kidneys also secrete hormones, including ones that help maintain blood pressure, prompt bone marrow to make red blood cells, and convert Vitamin D from dietary sources or sun exposure into a form that can be used by the body. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The majority of kidney cancer originates in the tiny filters. Most of the time, it’s found when it’s still confined to the kidney. But when it spreads to other parts of the body, until recently, it made for a grim prognosis. That’s changed, thanks to advances in treatment over the last couple of decades. These a...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Cancer healthscienceclimate Source Type: news