Can kidney stones cause kidney cancer?
Disease description:
My uncle has been experiencing frequent urination and urgency for the past six months. After going to the bathroom, he often cannot urinate for a long time. The doctor diagnosed him with kidney stones after an examination at the hospital. May I ask whether kidney stones can lead to kidney cancer?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Kidney stones do not cause kidney cancer; the two are entirely different diseases.
1. Different pathogenesis: Kidney stones mainly form when urinary salts exceed their saturation point and precipitate, forming deposits within the renal pelvis or calyces of the kidney. In contrast, kidney cancer is a type of cancer caused by degeneration and abnormal changes in the cells within the kidney's parenchyma. There is a fundamental difference in their underlying pathogenic mechanisms.
2. Different clinical manifestations and treatments: Kidney stones mainly present with symptoms such as pain and hematuria (blood in the urine), and treatment options include medication, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, and surgical intervention. Kidney cancer may present with symptoms including hematuria, pain, and a palpable mass, and its primary treatment is surgery, often combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Currently, the medical community has found no evidence that kidney stones directly cause kidney cancer. Although long-standing kidney stones may cause some degree of kidney damage, this type of damage does not equate to the pathological process of kidney cancer.
