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Renal Cell Carcinoma
(OC016)

Introduction


There are several different types of cancer that can affect the kidney. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type, affecting approximately 40,000 persons every year in the United States. However, it is not a very common type of cancer overall.

RCC, also called renal adenocarcinoma or hypernephroma, is the development of cancerous changes in the cells of the renal tubules. These are the functional units of the kidneys where urine is formed and consist of structures called nephrons and collecting tubules.

As kidney cancer grows, it may invade organs near the kidney such as the liver, colon, or pancreas. Kidney cancer cells may also spread to areas away from the original site (metastasize) such as the lymph nodes, brain, lungs or bone.

Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for RCC, although usually a combination of treatment modalities is utilized. Outcome is greatly improved when the cancer is caught early, before metastases have occurred.

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The Medifocus Guide on Renal Cell Carcinoma provides answers to the following important questions and medical issues:


What Your Doctor Reads:


This MediFocus Guide contains an extensive listing of citations and abstracts of recent journal articles that have been published about this condition in trustworthy medical journals. This is the same type of information that is available to physicians and other health care professionals. A partial selection of journal articles that are abstracted in this MediFocus Guide includes:


MediFocus Guides... When You Need Trustworthy Medical Information


MediFocus.com understands that consumers who are facing serious medical issues need access to credible, up-to-date medical information to help them make informed health-care decisions. That's why we've developed the MediFocus Guides...the most advanced and trustworthy patient research guides for over 200 chronic and life-threatening conditions. Each MediFocus Guide includes a detailed overview of the condition including information about diagnosis, treatment options, cutting-edge research, and new developments; excerpts of important journal articles from the current medical literature focusing on standard treatments and treatment options; a directory of leading authors and medical institutions who specialize in the treatment of the condition; and a listing of organizations and support groups where you can obtain additional information about the illness.

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