Cancer is the second leading cause of death next to cardiovascular disease. There are many types of cancers, and different stages of cancer. There are also many different treatment options available today to fight this horrible disease. There are new drugs coming out that have showed significant results in prolonging life, and have helped reduce the size of tumors and slow down the progression of this disease. One of the more remarkable drugs out now is the drug Sunitinib malate or Sutent for short. Sutent is mainly used in patients with advanced metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Renal cell carcinoma also known as hypernephroma is defined as a malignant tumor resembling the tissue of the suprarenal gland and occurring in the kidneys. Fever, loin pain, haematuria, and swelling are among the presenting symptoms, but the tumor may be symptomless for many years. Surgical removal is the initial treatment; hypernephromas are fairly insensitive to cytoxic drugs and radiotherapy- although hormone treatment may help- and are prone to spread via the bloodstream, for example, to the lungs (Black, 342). Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a form of kidney cancer and metastatic, or means that it is in advanced stages and has already begun to spread throughout other parts of the body. Metastatic renal cell carcinoma is the most common and one of most resistant tumors in urology with only a less than 10% survival rate for 5 years (Patel). RCC is more common in men than women and is most common in people over 50. There are different forms of renal cell carcinoma; clear cell, papillary, chromophobe, collecting duct, and unclassified. The way renal carcinoma is classified into these categories is based on how the cancer cells look under a microscope. Clear cell is the most common form of RCC; about 8 out of every 10 people have this form of RCC. When observed under a microscope the cells appear very pale, and clear. Papillary is the second most
Cited: Bankhead, Charles. "Three New Drugs Available To Fight Kidney Cancer." 98. (2006): n. pag. Web. 06 Feb 2010. . Black, Dr. Black 's Medical Dictionary. 4th edition. New York, NY: A & C Black 's Publishers Limited, 2005. Pg. 342. Print. "Marker for Kidney Cancer." Kidney Tumor. Web. 2 Feb 2010. . "New Data Show Pfizer 's SUTENT/SU11248 Extends Overall Survival in Gleevec-resistant GIST." Medical News Today. 17 May 2005. Pfizer, Web. 08 Feb 2010. . Patel, Samit. "Effects of Sunitinib Malate on Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma." Internet Journal of Urology Vol. 5.2nd edition (2008): n. pag. Web. 2 Feb 2010. http://www.ispub.com/journal/the_internet_journal_of_urology/volume_5_number_2_41/article/effects_of_sunitinib_malate_on_metastatic_renal_cell_carcino ma.html Peck, Peggy. "Other Cancers." Med Page Today. 01 Jan 2007. Zalman S. Agus, MD, Web. 2 Feb 2010.