Biological therapy, also called immunotherapy, is the most common treatment for advanced kidney cancer. Helps the body’s immune system to fight and destroy cancer cells. There are three types of biological therapies:

* Proteins that activate the immune system (cytokines) and interleukin-2 and interferon alfa
* A tumor vaccine to stimulate the production of cytokines in cancer cells
* Cell transplant from another person (bone marrow transplantation or injection of white blood cells) to boost the immune cells attack the cancer.

Both tumor vaccine in the case of renal cell carcinoma and transplantation for this disease are at an experimental stage, however, are offering an ever-increasing number of people due to the success of the first research studies.

A variation of biological therapy for renal cell carcinoma is the antibody therapy or other treatments that directly attack the new growth of blood vessels. These agents are called angiogenesis inhibitors. These treatments may help slow the growth of kidney cells, but currently they are considered experimental.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. This therapy may be used with other treatments to minimize symptoms.

The amount of tissue removed during surgery depends on the stage and type of kidney cancer. Among the surgical procedures available include the following:

* Radical nephrectomy to remove the entire kidney, adrenal glands, lymph nodes and surrounding fatty tissue. In some cancers, nephrectomy can be done through a camera-guided surgery called laparoscopy, which makes small cuts in contrast to traditional surgery.

* Partial Nephrectomy: it removes only the part of the kidney cancer cells. There is a risk that this surgery is any other cancer.

* Arterial embolization: inserting a small tube (catheter) into an artery in the groin up to the blood of kidney material is then injected into the artery to block it. This technique can be used before resorting to nephrectomy to stop any bleeding (bleeding) in the kidney and to kill cancerous cells.

* Removal of metastases when kidney cancer has spread to distant sites, these areas are called metastases. Metastases removed by surgery can provide temporary relief of pain and other symptoms in the area where the cancer is, however, does not help extend patient survival.

Since it is common for people with kidney cancer has no symptoms in its early stages, kidney tumor is sometimes found by accident when doing abdominal radiographs to assess other health problems. More often, kidney cancer is detected after a person complains of symptoms or during an evaluation to determine why laboratory tests are abnormal.

The signs of abnormal laboratory tests may be the first indication that a person has kidney cancer, and some of these cancers are caused by hormones or chemical effects. Abnormal signs may include:

* anemia (low red blood cell count)
* High red blood cell count (too much hormone erythropoietin)
* Abnormal liver function (usually due to congestion in venous obstruction)
* abnormal level of blood calcium
* abnormal kidney function

The kidneys are the size of a fist and the form of two beans, located under the rib cage in the back, a right kidney and the other to the left of the spine. These are the filters of the body to remove waste products from the blood, the excess water and salt. They also produce a hormone called renin, which controls blood pressure and a hormone called erythropoietin, which regulates the production of red blood cells.

Bladder cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in kidney tissue invade and destroy the renal (kidney) and can spread (metastasize) to other organs. There are three main types of kidney cancers in adults:

* Renal cell carcinoma: it begins in the lining of the small ducts that join to form the kidney. Represents 85% of all kidney cancers. Although renal cell carcinoma usually develops as a single tumor in only one kidney, often affects both kidneys. Most of these tumors are discovered before the tumor has spread through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to other organs. There are three different types of renal cell carcinoma: clear cell carcinoma (75% of all renal cell carcinomas), tumors, granular cell tumors and sarcomatoid These types are identified according to their appearance when viewed under a microscope and under specific type of anomalies in the genetic code.

* Transitional cell carcinoma, begins in the kidney tubes collectors when they exit the kidney. Account for 6 to 7% of all kidney cancers. When viewed under a microscope, this cancer is different from renal cell carcinoma, and usually begins in the renal pelvis (region with the funnel that connects the ureter to the main portion of the kidney). Research studies suggest that transitional cell carcinoma are linked to smoking.

* Renal sarcoma: begins in blood vessels within the kidney or by a mutation of a more common type of cancer. It is the rarest form of cancer and represents only 1% of all cases. Read the full story