Introduction
Kidney cancer initially starts when cells start to grow wildly. People do not require 2 kidneys, with some people even being able to survive without kidneys. The most common type of kidney cancer is known as renal cell carcinoma, which has many forms (clear cell renal cell carcinoma, non-clear cell renal cell carcinomas, collecting duct RCC multilocular cystic RCC, medullary carcinoma, mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinoma, neuroblastoma-associated RCC). Some of the other kidney cancers include: transitional cell carcinoma, wilms tumor, and renal sarcoma. Kidney cancer does have many risk factors which can be seen here.
Mechanisms and genetic alterations
The most common mutated genes for this cancer are VHL, PRBM1, SETD2/a>, BAP1, MTOR, KDM5C, KMT2C. The most common copy number alteration genes include FGFR4, DDX41, NSD1, FLT4.
Current bladder cancer treatments
At stage 1 and 2, the cancer is still in the kidney. At stage 3, the cancer has gone into veins/lymph nodes. At these stages, surgery is often used. Lymph nodes could be surgically removed, and sometimes the veins need to be opened to get rid of the cancer. Some other options include cryotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, or radiation therapy. Some stage 3 cancer are too large to be fully removed with surgery or radiation. So, certain drugs may be used. Stage 4 kidney cancers have gone out of the kidney and gone to further lymph nodes and/or other organs. Sometimes surgery is used to remove the kidney, but radiation is also sometimes used. Another treatment option is known as systemic therapy which uses immunotherapy drugs and/or targeted therapy drugs.
New treatments in clinical trials
