June 20, World Kidney Cancer Day

On the occasion of World Kidney Cancer Day, which is celebrated today, June 20, the Spanish Society of Nephrology (SEN) wants to highlight the importance of the advances and improvements made in recent years in the diagnosis and treatment of kidney cancer. . in Spain and throughout the world, and that they are able to significantly improve the survival rate of patients with this type of tumor, especially in the case of metastatic kidney cancer.

SEN experts say kidney cancer is a more common cancer in men, predominantly affecting people over 50, with around 9,000 new cases diagnosed in our country every year. Kidney cancer is a neoplasm that is difficult to diagnose, especially in the initial stages, in which there are almost no symptoms and which is often detected through random medical examinations (urological tests, abdominal ultrasound, etc.). Its incidence is rising, along with the increase in cancer incidence in general, due to risk factors such as tobacco smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, acquired cystic kidney disease in patients on dialysis (30% of these patients develop kidney cancer) or hereditary factors; but it is also due to improvements in diagnostic methods.

There are different types of kidney tumors (both benign and malignant), but the most common is clear cell carcinoma, which accounts for about 80% of kidney tumors.

The most common kidney tumors are small in size, have a favorable development and give very good results with surgery and subsequent standardized treatment. But the greatest progress has been made in recent years in metastatic kidney cancer, which is cancer that has spread to other organs or parts of the body. Thus, therapeutic methods for treating and improving the quality of life of patients have been significantly improved. Overall survival rate for kidney cancer is around 65% of cases, but it could continue to rise if more attention is paid to early detection, SEN experts say.

In this sense, greater promotion of early diagnosis in people at increased risk of developing this type of tumor will lead to earlier detection and, therefore, more effective treatment, as well as increased survival and cure rates for patients. “Measures that could help this include screening patients over 50 years of age, especially those with higher risk factors for developing this type of tumor, periodic medical examinations and ultrasound tests.” abdominal pain, which will allow us to continue to make progress in early diagnosis and early treatment,” emphasizes SEN President Dr. Emilio Sánchez.

Nephrotox, prevention of pharmacological effects on the kidneys

SEN also wants to highlight the importance of the impact that cancer treatment in general can have on the onset or worsening of kidney disease, as some drugs used in the treatment of tumors can have harmful or toxic effects on the kidneys and cause problems and complications in patients who already have kidney disease . With the goal of understanding these toxicity effects and ensuring the correct therapeutic treatment and quality of life for patients, SEN has developed the NEFROTOX initiative, an app and website dedicated to the nephrotoxicity of oncology drugs and the consequences that taking them can have on patients.

This application offers useful information about the main renal complications and the internal environment of chemotherapy procedures commonly used in oncology, so that it integrates existing knowledge in this field quickly, efficiently and usefully, thus becoming an essential tool for the job. Clinical nurse practitioner who treats cancer and kidney patients.

This initiative, a pioneer in Spain, “enables nephrologists and oncologists to develop measures and actions to improve the pharmacological treatment of patients, their health and quality of life, avoiding the consequences of complications or toxic side effects,” says the president of SEN. , Dr. Emilio Sanchez. “This is a huge practical help because although great progress has been made in developing new drugs and treatments for cancer, they are not free from kidney complications. And knowing them all with NEPHROTOX is the key to therapeutic and diagnostic treatment of patients.”