Kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, develops when normal, healthy cells in the kidneys begin to grow and function differently. These cancerous cells build up, forming a mass called a tumor, which exists as a lump inside the kidney. In some cases, these cancerous cells can spread to other parts of the body.

There are 5 main types of kidney cancer:

• Renal cell carcinoma (RCC): The most common type of kidney cancer, RCC only affects 1 kidney, not both. There are several types of RCC, including:
• Clear cell
• Chromophobe
• Papillary
• Unclassified
• Collecting duct carcinoma (CDC)
• Sarcoma
• Wilms tumor
• Lymphoma
• Urothelial carcinoma

Symptoms of kidney cancer can include:

• A lump or swelling in your kidney area (lower back) or abdomen
• Blood in your urine
• Lower back pain or pain in your side that doesn’t go away
• Feeling generally unwell
• Feeling very tired
• Having a fever that keeps coming back
• Losing weight without trying
• Low appetite

Having these symptoms doesn’t mean you have kidney cancer. But they can be a sign of other conditions, like an infection. If you have these symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor to find and treat the cause.

Risk factors for kidney cancer  include:

• Age and gender
• Chronic kidney disease
• High blood pressure
• Family history
• Smoking and using tobacco, including smokeless tobacco, cigarettes and pipes
• Other factors, such as:
• Being African American
• Being male
• Being overweight
• Environmental exposure to certain industrial chemicals
• Long-term dialysis for kidney failure
• Overuse of certain pain-relieving medications

Some of the diagnostic tests for kidney cancer include:

• Blood or urine tests rule out any issues with your kidneys that may be unrelated to cancer.
• Biopsy looks for cancerous (malignant) cells after removing a small sample of cell tissue.
• Imaging tests, such as MRIs, CT scans and PET scans, produce detailed pictures of the inside of your kidneys.

Depending on the type, location and stage of your cancer, we may recommend one or more of the following treatments:

• Surgery: Surgery is a common method of treating kidney cancer. The latest techniques, including minimally invasive surgery, have better outcomes, like faster healing and reduced pain.
• CyberKnife: CyberKnife robotic radiosurgery is a non-invasive treatment for tumors that are hard to reach or inoperable. It targets complex tumors — cancerous and noncancerous — by delivering high doses of targeted radiation safely. We offer it at the Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Cancer Center at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre.
• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is a drug-based treatment designed to shrink or slow the growth of tumors. To keep you as comfortable as possible during treatment, we built our clinics with heated seats and individual TVs. 
• Radiation therapy: Radiation oncology uses radiation to control or destroy harmful cancer cells. We offer several types of radiation therapy, including:
• External beam radiation
• Internal radiation
• Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
• Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT)
• Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)
• Biological/immunotherapy: This treatment uses medicines that help your immune system find and destroy cancer cells.
• Cryoablation: During this non-invasive procedure, your doctor will insert a hollow needle into your kidney and transfer cold gas through the needle to freeze cancer cells.
• Radiofrequency ablation: During this nonsurgical treatment, your doctor will insert a needle into your kidney and use heat to destroy cancerous cells and tumors.
• Clinical trials: Our cancer research and clinical trials give you access to new treatments, often before they become widely available.