Is kidney cancer the same as uremia?
Disease description:
My colleague's father was hospitalized recently. When we went to visit him in the hospital, my colleague mentioned that his father had been diagnosed with kidney cancer. I would like to ask, is kidney cancer the same condition as uremia?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Renal cancer and uremia are not the same condition. The main differences between them are as follows:
1. **Nature of the disease**: Renal cancer is a malignant tumor originating from the kidneys, while uremia is the end-stage of renal insufficiency, characterized by kidney failure.
2. **Causes**: The causes of renal cancer are complex and associated with factors such as heredity, smoking, and obesity; uremia usually develops from progressive kidney diseases, such as chronic glomerulonephritis.
3. **Symptoms**: Early symptoms of renal cancer are often not obvious, while late-stage symptoms may include hematuria (blood in urine) and flank pain. Uremia typically presents with fatigue, loss of appetite, edema (swelling), and skin itching.
4. **Treatment**: Main treatment options for renal cancer include surgery, immunotherapy, and drug therapy; uremia requires treatment via dialysis or kidney transplantation.
