How does Renal Cell Carcinoma Become Metastatic?
The most common type of kidney cancer, renal cell carcinoma, starts in the small tubes in your kidneys. The tumor can form in either kidney, and like other cancers, it can become metastatic, i.e., it can spread to the surrounding structures, or sometimes to other parts of the body. Fortunately, many renal cell carcinoma cases are discovered before the cancer spreads. We’ve discussed how renal cell carcinoma becomes metastatic, when you may need a uro oncology surgery in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, and the prognosis for such cases. Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: What to Expect Your kidneys play a pivotal role in removing toxins from your body through urine. Renal cell carcinoma occurs when kidney cells start to grow aggressively and uncontrollably, forming a tumor. In the early stage, it stays confined to the kidney, but if left undetected, the cancer cells can invade the surrounding structures and might eventually reach distant organs. When RCC metastasizes, it’s called stage IV kidney cancer. Where Does Kidney Cancer Spread To? When the cancer cells start spreading, they invade the blood vessels and nearby structures, such as the adrenal gland, which sits on top of the kidney. The process doesn’t happen overnight, but gradually. Renal cell carcinoma can invade the blood vessels and lymph nodes, which act like a highway through which the cells can invade distant body organs, forming secondary tumors. Many cancerous cells entering the bloodstream die due to an immune attack. Some, however, survive by hiding from immune cells or surviving in a hostile environment with low oxygen levels and physical stress. These cells might survive long enough to reach other organs. The most common sites where the RCC metastasize or the secondary tumors form include: Diagnosis & Treatment Unfortunately, metastatic renal cell carcinoma is not curable, although with modern and advanced treatments, such as immunotherapy and targeted therapy, many patients go on to live healthy and long lives. Metastasized RCC can be diagnosed with physical tests, imaging, such as CT scans and ultrasounds, and MRI for a detailed view of where the cancer has spread. For cancer that hasn’t spread too far, surgical removal of the affected kidney along with the lymph nodes, fat, and adrenal gland might be recommended. If it’s spread to distant organs, surgery with immunotherapy and targeted therapy are used to kill the remaining cancer cells throughout the body. Immunotherapy enhances your own immune system to identify and kill cancer cells. Cancer cells grow blood vessels, which provide these cells with oxygen and nutrients needed to survive and spread. Targeted therapies aim to kill cancer cells by starving them. They cut the blood supply to these cells. Renal cell carcinoma does not usually respond well to chemotherapy, which is why the main line of treatment for metastasized RCC includes a combination of targeted and immunotherapy with surgery (if needed). At this stage, the kidney cancer treatment in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, is mainly palliative, i.e., focusing on giving you a quality life during the treatment by slowing the cancer growth.
