KIDNEY CANCER
CRYOTHERAPY
Kidney Cancer Statistics
60-70% of kidney tumors are incidental findings; in other words, they are found during routine physicals or during screening for other conditions. Many of these lesions are relatively small when discovered. Small tumors (those <4cm) are particularly suited to a minimally invasive procedure for kidney cancer treatment, such as cryotherapy ablation.
Kidney cancer accounts for approximately 3% of all adult cancers worldwide. In the United States, National Cancer Institute statistics state that about 51,000 new cases are diagnosed and approximately 12,500 people die from the disease annually. In Europe, reports indicate that there are more than 30,000 new renal cancer cases each year. Kidney cancer occurs most often in people between the ages of 50 and 70, and affects men almost twice as often as women.
Renal-cortical tumors account for nearly 90 percent of all kidney tumors. According to the National Cancer Institute, the highest incidence of kidney cancer occurs in the United States, Canada, Northern Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. The lowest incidence is found in Thailand, China, and the Philippines.
To find out more about who is most at risk for kidney cancer, see the section Who is at Risk for Kidney Cancer? Read the section Kidney Cancer Symptoms to learn about the most common symptoms of kidney cancer.
Kidney cancer is rare in children and young adults; the exception is a pediatric kidney cancer called Wilms’ Tumor. Wilms' Tumor accounts for about 6% of childhood cancers and is the most common type of kidney cancer in children. Incidence of Wilms' tumor is higher in girls younger than the age of 5 and in African Americans, and rarely strikes after the age of 8. It is believed that this cancer begins forming while the child is still in the womb, when some kidney cells fail to mature and begin to proliferate in their immature state, eventually becoming a tumor.
Kidney Cancer Survival Rates
Early diagnosis of kidney cancer is important. As with most types of cancer, the earlier the tumor is discovered, the better a patient's chances for survival. Many factors affect prognosis, but the 5-year survival rate for people with cancer confined to the kidney is 90% or better. If the cancer has spread into the renal vein and the vena cava but has not spread to distant sites, the 5-year survival rate is 35 to 60%. When cancer has spread to distant sites, the 5-year survival rate is no higher than 10%.
In some advanced cancers, the goal of any intervention is to focus on pain relief and other means to improve the patient's comfort. This is called palliative treatment, and cryotherapy ablation can also be used successfully in these cases. |
