The main function of the kidneys is to produce liquid waste, called urine, by filtering the blood. Narrow tubes called ureters carry the urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. In addition to eliminating waste products from the body, the kidneys also perform certain other important functions. They regulate the electrolyte content and the acid-base balance of the body. They are also known to regulate the production of red blood cells and to maintain the blood pressure of the body.
The common form of kidney cancer is renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Other types include transitional cell carcinoma, renal sarcoma and Wilms tumor. Renal cell carcinoma originates in the renal parenchyma.
Transitional cell carcinoma or urothelial carcinoma originates in the renal pelvis, which is the junction of the kidney and ureters. A report published in The Journal of the American Medical Association states that more than 80 percent of the cases of kidney cancer are renal cell carcinoma.
Renal cell carcinoma can further be classified into subtypes such as:
Renal sarcoma is a rare kidney cancer, which develops in the connective tissues of the kidney. Wilms tumor is rare in adults and mostly found in children.
Chemotherapy for kidney cancer is one of the various types of treatment procedures available. In this procedure, specialists administer anticancer drugs. These drugs either kill the cancerous cells or restrict further division of the malignant cells. In certain cases, chemotherapy can also be administered along with other therapies. This procedure is known as combination therapy. For example, chemotherapy along with the biological therapy is known as biochemotherapy.
Chemotherapy for kidney cancer is offered to the patients in a number of cycles, at regular intervals of time. This procedure may prevent any loss to the healthy surrounding cells, because the cells get time to recover and flourish between the cycles. Also, all the cancerous cells may not divide at the same time. So, chemotherapy in cycles helps to kill more cancerous cells.
There are two types of chemotherapy for kidney cancer, namely, systemic chemotherapy and regional chemotherapy. In systemic chemotherapy, the anticancer drugs are taken orally or injected into the muscles or veins. In regional chemotherapy, the drugs are directly injected into the kidneys by creating special pathways. The specialist chooses the type of chemotherapy depending upon the extent of cancer and medical history of the patient.
Chemotherapy is not proved to be beneficial for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. According to some researchers, immunotherapy may be more helpful for the condition. Chemotherapy is applicable in case of transitional cell carcinoma, Wilms tumor, and renal sarcoma. Chemotherapy for kidney cancer is an effective treatment, but patients should expect certain side effects of the therapy, which are temporary and reduce over time. Some sided effects associated with chemotherapy include:
The specialist will probably recommend certain blood tests to patients during the time period when the patient is under treatment. This is done to ensure that no harmful reactions occur due to the anticancer drugs.
The cost of chemotherapy for kidney cancer depends on the type of drugs being administered, according to the severity of the condition.
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