Renal cell carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer. It originates in the lining of the proximal convoluted tubules which are the very small tubes in the kidney that transport urine. Quite often renal cell carcinoma develops without symptoms and this results in the disease being found late when it has spread to other parts of the body.Renal cell carcinoma is also associated with a number of paraneoplastic syndromes which are conditions caused by either the hormones produced by the tumour or the by the body’s attack on the tumour. They are present in about 20% of people with renal cell carcinoma.If renal cell carcinoma is found in the early stages, and it not spread to other areas of the body (metastasized), the five year survival rate is 65-90%. The survival rate becomes significantly lower when the cancer has spread.