Renal Tumors: A Case Study

Renal tumors (neoplasms) are abnormal tissue formation on or around the kidney (Nogueras, Thomas, & Porter, 2015). Renal tumors may alter renal function. The most common malignant renal tumors are renal cell carcinomas, which originates in the renal cortex. Transitional cell carcinomas are the second most common form of renal tumors. Men and older age are at both common risk factors for renal tumors. Other risk factors include: obesity, exposure to asbestos, cadmium, and gasoline, the use of phenacetin, aspirin contacting analgesics, chronic hemodialysis for acquired polycystic kidney diseases, and smoking (Nogueras, Thomas, & Porter, 2015).
Pathophysiology
Renal neoplasms can be benign or malignant (Nogueras, Thomas, & Porter, 2015). It can also be considered as primary or secondary. Primary malignancies spread through the lymph nodes and blood
Treatment for renal neoplasm is primarily total or practical nephrectomy with or without regional lymphadenectomy if no metastatic disease is present.
Follow up
The role of primary care provider in the treatment process of renal tumors are supportive care (Nogueras, Thomas, & Porter, 2015). The focus should be on any additional problems that are not related to the cancer. For example, counseling patient regarding grief, death and dying, body image changes and quality of life.
Coping and support
Coping with cancer diagnosis is different for each individual, once the shock and fear begin to subside, finding ways to cope with daily challenges of the cancer treatment and recovery is very important (Mayo Clinic, 2015). Several important strategies to include during patient educations to cope the disease:
Learn about kidney cancer to feel more comfortable making treatment decisions, such as learning about the disease. National cancer institute is a great resource (Mayo Clinic,