What is kidney cancer?
Before turning to the issue of prevention, let’s get familiar with kidney cancer a little bit more. Your kidneys include two bean-shaped organs that aid in cleansing of the blood, elimination of waste as well as handling of the blood pressure. Sometimes a growth known as tumor results from normal-body cells in your kidney that have become overgrown and this is known as kidney cancer.
Sounds not so familiar, yet the rate of kidney cancer is slowly rising, particularly among individuals above the age of 50 years. Fortunately, many of these are avoidable, and that is why kidney cancer risk has been observed to be influenced mainly by lifestyle factors. Therefore, one should know just how one is supposed to be in a position to have optimized kidney care.
There are several risk factors for kidney cancer; these include:
The first level of prevention is recognising some of the aspects that predispose one to kidney cancer. While factors such as age and family history cannot be changed, many risks are within our power.
Here are the risk factors we can’t control:
Fixed risk factors:
- Age (being older than 50)
- Family history of kidney cancer
- Certain inherited genetic conditions
- Being male (men are at slightly higher risk)
- Having kidney disease or being on dialysis
- Having high blood pressure
Lifestyle risk factors we can control:
- Smoking
- Being overweight or obese
- Lack of regular physical activity
- Poor diet
- Unhealthy lifestyle habits and high blood pressure
- Having come across some chemicals in their work environment
Strategy 1: How do size and mass control prevent kidney damage?
Extra weight means extra stress on your kidneys. Consider your kidneys as filters; if they need to work harder because of excess weight, they will likely be prone to problems. Research has shown that if a person is overweight, he/she might develop the possibility of getting kidney cancer.
The good news is that even a slight weight loss will favor you. You are not compelled to be underweight; what matters most is that you’re healthy, and that’s far better than doing it. You must follow slow and steady weight loss from eating habits and exercise.
Strategy 2: Why quitting smoking is necessary for your kidneys?
Quitting smoking is one of the preventive measures you can take to damage your kidneys less. Developing kidney cancer for a smoker is two times that of a nonsmoker probable. Because it not only affects your lungs, but the harmful compounds in tobacco smoke can get into your blood consequently damaging the kidneys little by little.
Quitting smoking after years of smoking can be your difference maker. Within the first day since quitting, your body starts to heal itself. Only after a few years of quitting smoke does it bring down the possibility of getting kidney cancer significantly.
Strategy 3: How does regular exercise prevent kidney cancer?
Apart from burning excess fats or keeping someone fit, exercise protects the kidneys directly since it maintains circulation, supports blood pressure regulation, and reduces inflammation, all of which ensure normal kidneys.
It does not have to be running marathons. It will be enough if a person engages in some form of exercise, even a bit moderate, like fast walking, swimming, or bicycling, for 30 minutes more days a week. In this way, it becomes something one wants to do to make it automatic.
Strategy 4: How does diet affect the prevention of kidney cancer?
Diet plays a massive role in kidney health. The diet that prevents other types of kidney cancer is essentially the same as the general healthy diet for your body. Take more fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats. Those are all good sources of antioxidants and other chemicals in order to protect the cells.
Some of the foods that may protect your kidneys include:
- Dark leafy greens like spinach and kale
- Berries of all kinds
- Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids
- Nuts and seeds
- Whole grains
- Plenty of water
Avoid most processed foods, such as red meat and salt. Excess salt use leads to high blood pressure, which puts pressure on the kidneys to filter this pressure.
Strategy 5: Why is controlling blood pressure necessary for kidney cancer prevention?
High blood pressure increases your chances of kidney cancer and also damages your kidneys slowly. The harder your kidneys have to work when the blood pressure is too high, the more slowly this extra effort damages the kidney tissue and raises the risk of cancer.
Methods for management and control of blood pressure include
- Lowering sodium intake
- Staying active
- Managing stress
- Following through on any prescribed medications
- Maintaining adequate sleep
- Limiting alcohol consumption
Don’t forget to take your blood pressure checkup regularly. High blood pressure often develops unnoticed since a high blood pressure case is generally symptomless.
Strategy 6: What happens in diabetes care that would favorably influence protecting your kidneys?
If you have diabetes, this control will be handy for caring for your kidneys. In the long run, high blood sugar damages blood vessels in your kidneys, increasing the probability of developing disease. It will also increase your risk of having kidney cancer.
Your healthcare team will closely observe you to ensure that you maintain healthy blood sugar ranges. This means appropriate diet and exercise, proper medication as ordered, and continuous blood sugar monitoring.
What are some early warning signs we should watch for?
Though prevention is always best, recognizing the warning signs of kidney issues can help catch problems when they develop. Some things to watch out for include:
- Blood in your urine
- Pain in your lower back that doesn’t go away
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Fever not caused by infection
All the above symptoms may not necessarily suggest that you have kidney cancer. However, many other conditions might be ascribed to them. A good idea, therefore, would be to make sure that your physician checks them for you if they persist.
How often should we get checked for kidney cancer?
No screening test for renal cancer is similar to the one for breast or colon cancer. However, you should visit your doctor often if you suffer from some risk factors. During these visits, your doctor may:
- Check your blood pressure
- Test your urine for blood or protein
- Feel your abdomen for unusual masses
- Order blood tests to check kidney function
- Advise imaging tests if needed
Your doctor will advise you on the following: you may be asked to come in more frequently and even have some additional tests done if you have a family history of kidney cancer or other risk factors.
What is the most essential thing that you can know about preventing kidney cancer?
Suitable lifestyles can prevent most kidney cancers. Sure, we cannot change everything. We can, however, change most. It is achievable to change small habits that can add up to significant protection for our kidneys.
It does not matter which stage you are in your life, and if indeed you have developed kidney problems, you can still take better care of them. Even though you’ve had a lifetime of poor health habits, now you can make it a bit less disastrous by beginning to reduce your risk of cancer and enhance your well-being.
Conclusion:
You can drastically lower your risks of developing kidney cancer by being normal weight, not smoking, being physically active, following an otherwise healthy diet, checking blood pressure, and taking care of diabetes cases. With frequent health checkups and awareness of alert symptoms, these six steps are the best possible pathway toward a lifelong lifestyle with healthy kidneys.
REFERENCES:
https://www.kidney.org/kidney-topics/6-step-guide-to-protecting-kidney-health
https://www.healthline.com/health/kidney-cancer/kidney-cancer-prevention
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/cancer-prevention/art-20044816
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/prevention
https://www.kidney.org/news-stories/7-tips-to-protect-your-kidney-heart-health
https://www.wcrf.org/preventing-cancer/cancer-types/kidney-cancer/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-to-prevent-kidney-cancer