Renalcell carcinoma
By far the most common form of renal cancer is the renal-cell carcinoma, which accounts for approximately 85 percent of all cases.
In general, men are twice as likely to be affected as women. More than 90 percent of all cases are diagnosed in people above the age of forty-five, and in the majority of these the illness appears between the ages of sixty and seventy. Typical symptoms, such as blood in the urine, generally appear at a relatively late stage. Other symptoms, such as backache or abdominal pains tend to be rather non-specific.
Often diagnosed too late
As a result, the carcinoma is often discovered by chance during an ultrasound examination. Metastases have already formed in a third of the patients by the time they are diagnosed. Renalcell carcinomas are fatal for about a half of patients – not least because it is often diagnosed so late.
It is still unclear why renal cells become malignant. It is suspected, however, that certain genes are no longer fulfilling their function, so that the uncontrolled proliferation of cells is no longer blocked. In addition, smoking, overweight, high-fat diets, hormonal factors, petroleum products, asbestos, certain solvents, and painkillers containing phenacetine have been mooted as risk factors.
Targeted therapies offer hope
The earlier the diagnosis, the better the chances of a cure. As a rule, the preferred way of treating the disease is to remove the tumor or the entire kidney in an operation. Additional possibilities include radiotherapy or immunotherapies with alpha-interferon or interleukin-2. The disease is sometimes also treated with chemotherapy. Despite these possibilities, the prospects of a cure are limited, especially if the therapy is started at a late stage. If metastases have already formed, this worsens the prognosis for the patients. Until recently, there was no suitable treatment in many of these cases.
In the meantime, however, the development of targeted cancer therapies has brought new hope. Bayer Schering Pharma is also working on drugs that attack specific tumor mechanisms very selectively.
Certain active ingredients have proved to be especially interesting, e.g. those that arrest tumor growth in two ways: by inhibiting cell division and disrupting the tumor's supply of blood. Such an active ingredient from Bayer Schering Pharma was recently approved in many countries for the treatment of advanced renalcell carcinoma. In studies it has been shown to significantly inhibit the tumor's further development. Because of the high hopes raised by this effect, the substance has already been made available in special programs before its approval.
Further applications for this drug are currently being intensively pursued.
Advice for patients
Every body reacts differently to medicines. Therefore it is impossible to tell which medicine works best for you. Please consult your physician.
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