Kidney Cancer
What
is Cancer?
Cancer is a disease of the body's cells. Our
bodies are always making new cells: so we can grow,
to replace worn-out cells, or to heal damaged cells after an injury. This
process is controlled by
certain genes. All cancers are caused by changes to these genes. Changes
usually happen during
our lifetime, although a small number of people inherit a changed gene
from a parent. Normally,
cells grow and multiply in an orderly way. However, changed genes can
cause them to behave
abnormally. They may grow into a lump. These lumps can be benign (not
cancerous) or malignant
(cancercous). A malignant lump (more commonly called a malignant tumour)
is made up of cancer
cells. When it first develops, this malignant tumour may be confined to
its original site. If these
cells are not treated they may spread into surrounding tissue and to other
parts of the body.
When these cells reach a new site they may continue to grow and form
another tumour at that
site. This is called a secondary cancer or metastasis.
Treatments for kidney cancer include surgery, chemotherapy and
radiotherapy. You may be
advised to have one or more of these treatments.
Surgery is not possible for all people with kidney cancer. If surgery is
possible, the type
recommended will depend on your general health and the stage of your
cancer. The most common
surgery is to remove the whole kidney. This is called a radical
nephrectomy. Other surrounding
tissues may be removed at the same time, if they are found to have cancer,
too.
Types
of Kidney Cancer
Renal
cell carcinoma, the most common form of kidney cancer, occurs when
malignant (cancerous)
cells are found in the lining of the tubules. Renal cell carcinoma makes
up about 85% of kidney
cancer cases. This type of tumor usually grows as a single mass within the
kidney, but sometimes
there may be multiple tumors within a single kidney, or tumors in both.
There are five different
types of renal cell carcinoma, identified by examining the tumor under the
microscope. They are:
clear cell, papillary, chromophobe, collecting duct, and "unclassified."
Renal tumors are also graded
on a scale of 1 to 4. Grade 1 tumors are small, often slow growing and
have a good prognosis.
Grade 4 tumors are the most serious and have the worst prognosis.
What is “Cancer”
Insurance?
Cancer insurance
provides benefits only if you get cancer. If yes, then Cancer policies
sold today
vary widely in cost and coverage. If you decide to purchase a cancer
insurance policy, contact
different companies and agents, and compare the policies before you buy.
Cancer insurance is
sometimes referred to as a specified disease or dreaded disease policy.
It is also necessary if you
are considering the purchase of cancer insurance or other specified
disease type coverage, it is a
good idea to carefully review your current health insurance policies.
Before going for cancer
insurance you should make it clear from agent or company that all
expenses will be covered by
policy or only hospital costs will be bared by cancer insurance policy.
Many cancer insurance
policies have fixed cost limits. Cancer insurance is not a substitute for
comprehensive coverage. |
