Hypernephroma of the kidney is a tumor process in one or both kidneys at once (most often in the right), while signs of the disease may be absent for a long time. A neoplasm can be either benign or malignant. This is why it is dangerous. The disease is diagnosed in men twice as often as in women. If pathology is detected at the initial stage, the prognosis of kidney hypernephroma for recovery will be favorable.
What is renal hypernephroma?
The tumor is a soft node, brightly colored, with the presence of a pseudocapsule. If you study it under a microscope, you can see bright polygonal and polymorphic cell formations, which contain lipids and many mitoses.
Despite the fact that sometimes hypernephroma of the kidney is benign, most of the disease is based on cancer cells. Pathology is also called clear cell cancer.
Oncopathology develops from the tissue of the epithelium and can affect any nephron structure. The tumor usually grows up to 3 cm, but in the history of medicine there have been cases when the neoplasm reached a significant size, up to 3 kg. If the tumor does not reach 3 cm, then it is rarely malignant. According to statistics, 45 tumors account for only one malignant.
Cancer cells can germinate inside the kidney and affect the vascular plexuses that feed the organ. Frequent patients in cancer clinics with this disease are men from 40 to 70 years. Children practically do not have kidney hypernephroma.
Causes of pathology
There is no exact reason for the onset of the disease, but there are a number of factors that contribute to the appearance of a tumor:
- Overweight person.
- Presence of bad habits, such as addiction to alcohol and smoking.
- Urinary disorders.
- Taking certain medications, such as hormones or cytostatics.
- Hereditary predisposition.
- Endocrine Disorders
- Radio exposure.
- Inhalation of toxic fumes, such as gasoline, asbestos, cadmium, organic solvents, herbicides, phenacetin containing drugs.
Hypernephroid cancer may appear as a concomitant disease against other pathologies.
These diseases include:
- hypertension
- advanced diabetes mellitus;
- tuberculosis disease;
- chronic renal failure;
- cystic formations;
- infectious and microbial diseases;
- nephrosclerosis;
- tuberculous kidney disease;
- urolithiasis;
- obesity.
In men, the disease develops twice as often, this may be due to frequent disorders in the work of the adrenal glands and the prostate, which are in close proximity to the kidneys.
If you deal with the prevention of primary diseases, then there is a chance not to get kidney hypernephroma.
Development mechanism
Clear cell hypernephroid cancer of the kidney is formed only in the cortical substance of the organ. At the beginning of its development, the tumor reveals exclusively angiography.
If there are favorable factors, for example, frequent human smoking or activities in hazardous work with forced inhalation of toxins, the neoplasm grows faster and grows into the parenchyma, affecting it.
If the tumor growth has gone beyond the renal capsule, then it can penetrate the lymph nodes, circulatory system, and other internal organs. Metastases do not appear until the neoplasm reaches a size of 5-6 cm.
According to histological studies, we can conclude that hypernephroma cells are similar to the renal tubule epithelium. It is possible to identify light cells, mixed with granular and spindle-shaped.
As hypernephroma grows rapidly, the following can be present in the kidneys:
- necrotic sites;
- calcification;
- hemorrhage.
The first thing that patients often discover is blood impurities in the urine. This condition is called hematuria, it occurs suddenly and is not accompanied by pain. Blood may be in small quantities, this symptom is irregular. Sometimes this condition is completely absent, and blood impurities are detected only when urine is passed for analysis. A similar phenomenon in medicine is called microhematuria.
Over time, pain appears, but it develops after urination, and not before, as with urolithiasis. Subsequently, the pain will be present constantly, may be dull or aching.
Signs of hypernephroma
For a long time, a person may not be aware of the disease. Only when the kidney hypernephroma gains its strength does a triad of characteristic signs arise. Namely:
Non-specific symptoms include:
- general weakness of the body;
- muscle and joint pain;
- sharp weight loss;
- decreased appetite;
- renal colic;
- nausea and vomiting;
- headaches and dizziness;
- increase in body temperature;
- increase in blood pressure;
- characteristic signs in the defeat of a certain internal organ in the presence of metastasis.
In later stages, a person develops complications.
What can be the complications?
These include the following:
- urination is impaired;
- metastases penetrate into regional lymph nodes;
- compression of the renal vessels and adjacent tissues;
- a significant decrease in immunity;
- trophic changes in the structure of the pelvic organs;
- failure of the water-salt balance.
If a person is aware of such symptoms, this will allow him to seek medical help in the early stages of renal hypernephroma.
How is the disease diagnosed?
To determine the diagnosis, you will need the following examinations:
- Retrograde pyelography.
- Phlebography.
- Ultrasonography.
- Renal tissue biopsy.
- Angiography.
- Excretory urography.
- CT scan.
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
If there is bleeding, a cystoscopy is performed to determine the source.
A biochemical blood test is mandatory, the following indicators can talk about pathological changes:
- increased ESR;
- anemia;
- polycemia;
- urinalysis will show erythrocyturia.
The doctor also draws attention to the external changes in the person. This is an asymmetric arrangement of the abdomen, cachexism, protrusion of veins on the abdomen and legs, swelling of the lower extremities. But this manifestation does not always characterize hypernephroma. An enlarged organ is detected by palpation, but for complete patients this method is not applicable.
Treatment
The basis of treatment is such actions:
- Radiation therapy.
- Chemotherapy drug.
- Nephrectomy
- Lymphadenectomy
Nephrectomy is indicated for the normal functioning of one of the kidneys. The operation is radical or partial.
In the first case, the organ is completely removed. The indication may be:
- The tumor is large.
- Destruction of fatty tissue and epithelium of the kidney.
- If there is a threat of a gap.
Partial nephrectomy involves removal of a kidney site. This is done with small sizes of hypernephroma.
With the total spread of metastasis, surgery is not performed. The only way out may be embolization of the arteries, with this method blocking the arteries that feed the tumor, which prevents the active growth of the tumor.
If metastases penetrated the lymphatic system, then lymphadenectomy is performed. Radiation and chemotherapy are used as a separate treatment, and after surgical mixing. X-ray irradiation can affect only single metastases that have not penetrated the adipose tissue.
Of the folk remedies, soda is popular in the treatment of hypernephroma of the left kidney, the prognosis of such treatment is unpredictable. Therapy with sodium bicarbonate has a number of contraindications. Before using soda, you need to consult a doctor.
What threatens?
The size of the hypernephroma of the right kidney in the initial stage is only 1-2 mm. In advanced cases, the tumor reaches a significant size - up to 3 kg. Most often, hypernephroma of the right kidney is diagnosed. Sometimes both organs are affected. Hypernephroma of the left kidney is diagnosed in 30% of cases.
The consequences of overgrowth of the neoplasm can be very dangerous. The prognosis of kidney hypernephroma (right or left) is often unfavorable - the pathology is developing rapidly. Infected cells, penetrating the bloodstream, rapidly spread throughout the body.
As a result, metastases spread to the following organs and tissues:
- lung tissue;
- bones;
- area of the brain;
- intestines;
- adipose tissue.
Metastases primarily penetrate the lymphatic system and articular part.
The problem is added by a prolonged absence of symptoms, as a result, even the operation is powerless before the disease. It is especially problematic to detect timely hypernephroma in women, since the signs of the disease are largely similar to uterine pathologies.
In rare cases, the disease develops in young people under 20 years old. As a result, such complications develop:
- The development of pseudohermaphroditism.
- Macrogenitosomy.
- Boys are rapidly developing sexually.
- Girls may suffer from hirsutism.
- Women may develop virilism.
Probability of death
In 80% of cases, with early diagnosis of hypernephroma and timely treatment, the disease recedes. However, everything changes when the disease is detected in the later stages and in the presence of metastasis to other organs and systems. The prognosis of left kidney hypernephroma, as well as the right one, will be disappointing - only 5% of patients overcome pathology, but their life expectancy is reduced, often such patients can live a little over a year. The rest die in a few months.
Prevention
When maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the likelihood of developing hypernephroma in the kidneys is reduced significantly.
First of all, it is the rejection of bad habits in the form of alcohol and tobacco dependence, balanced nutrition and physical activity. Regularly need to replenish the body with the necessary vitamins and minerals.
Although motor activity is important, exhausting workouts may not always be beneficial. In addition, given that the majority of recommendations apply to older people. For them, Nordic walking can be an ideal option.
If you want to support the body with the help of alternative therapy, it is better to consult a doctor once again.
Some recommendations
Among other things, it is advisable to implement such recommendations:
- If violations of the kidneys have been identified, they should be addressed in a timely manner.
- Direct contact with various chemicals should be avoided and, if possible, restrict medication.
- Have an ultrasound scan of your kidneys regularly.
- If suddenly blood formations were detected in the urine, then an urgent need to be examined.
Do not pull with a trip to the doctor if you suspect something is amiss. It’s better to be safe again than to “rake” the consequences of negligence in relation to your health in the future. It is worth remembering that kidney hypernephroma is successfully treated at the initial stage of its development. Complications of a neglected disease can be tragic.