New Brunswick, N.J., March 1, 2022 –The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located just below the rib cage, one on each side of your spine. Healthy kidneys filter blood to remove waste and extra water to make urine. Kidney cancer, also known as renal cell carcinoma, forms when healthy cells in one or both kidneys grow out of control. Eric A. Singer, MD, MA, MS, FACS is associate chief of Urology and director of the Kidney Cancer Program at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey; and associate professor of surgery and radiology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He answers common questions about the disease below.
What puts someone at higher risk for developing kidney cancer?
Risk factors for developing kidney cancer include smoking tobacco, obesity, high blood pressure and people who receive long-term dialysis to treat chronic kidney failure. Additionally, if someone in your family is known to have had kidney cancer, the chances for you to develop kidney cancer are greater.
What are the symptoms of kidney cancer?
Although symptoms may not show at first, there are some including blood in the urine, pain in the side that does not go away, a mass on the side or lower back, tiredness, unexplained weight loss, a fever and swelling of the ankles and legs.
What should I do if I have health concerns that could be a sign of kidney cancer?
People experiencing the symptoms listed above should tell their doctor so that any problem can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible. There are many treatment options available for patients with kidney cancer. Meeting with a urologic oncologist will help determine the treatment that is best for you based on the size of the tumor and whether or not it has spread outside the kidney.
Rutgers Cancer Institute together with RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and a leader in complex kidney cancer surgery, including robotic partial nephrectomy, inferior vena cava IVC thrombectomy, and cytoreductive nephrectomy.
Recent Research
Members of the Urologic Oncology Program at Rutgers Cancer Institute recently explored the impact of utilizing palliative medicine for patients with metastatic kidney cancer. Results have been published in Clinical Genitourinary Cancer (doi: 10.1016/j.clgc.2022.01.001).
Kidney Cancer Resources and Support
- Visit our Kidney Cancer Resource Center for additional resources and information on the disease
- Connect with our physicians. To schedule a new patient appointment please call our Oncology Access Center at 1-844-CANCERNJ
- Learn more about Patient Support Services at Rutgers Cancer Institute for coping with the emotional impact of cancer
- Read about experts in the Urologic Oncology Program at Rutgers Cancer Institute, who are making advancements in the prevention and treatment of kidney cancer through basic and clinical research
- Learn about clinical trials for every stage of kidney cancer
- Watch Dr. Eric Singer discuss surgery for Kidney Cancer on our YouTube playlist
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For patient appointments/inquiries – contact:
844-CANCERNJ (844-226-2376)