Kidney cancer is a very lethal form of cancer. The National Cancer Institute reported that 49,096 Americans were diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2009, and 11,033 people died from the disease that year. There are many forms of kidney cancer. Each form is named based on the type of cells it contains. Properly identifying the type of kidney cancer is important because it allows for the selection of the correct treatment that targets that specific type.
Renal Cell Carcinoma
The most common form of kidney cancer, according to the American Cancer Society, is renal cell carcinoma (RCC), accounting for nine out of 10 cases. RCC is usually identified as a single tumor within a kidney. Sometimes, however, this cancer can cause tumors in multiple parts of a kidney or in both kidneys.
RCC has been divided into different subtypes. This sub-classification allows doctors to better describe the disease and find better treatments to combat the cancer. The subtypes are defined by what the cancer cells look like under a microscope. They include clear cell renal cell carcinoma, papillary renal cell carcinoma, chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, collecting duct renal cell carcinoma and unclassified renal cell carcinoma.
Transitional Cell Carcinoma (TCC)
Five to 10 percent of kidney cancers are transitional cell carcinomas (TCC), according to the UCLA Health System. These cancers are also termed urothelial carcinomas. TCCs begin in the renal pelvis, the area of the kidney where the organ meets the ureter (the tube that brings urine to the bladder). Cells of TCC look like bladder cells. Ninety percent of TCCs are curable if they are found at an early stage.
Wilms Tumor
The American Cancer Society states that Wilms tumors are seen in 5 percent of kidney cancers. Wilms tumors are almost always found in children. The tumors usually present with a palpable flank mass or abdominal mass. A palpable flank mass is a growth under the skin that can be felt along the sides of the abdomen or near the back of the patient.
Renal Sarcoma
Renal sarcoma is listed by the American Cancer Society as a rare type of kidney cancer that affects less than 1 percent of all kidney cancer patients. This type of kidney cancer begins in the renal connective tissue.
