Kidney cancer isn’t as well-known as skin cancer, lung cancer, or prostate cancer, but it’s still a major concern. Of the more than 80,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States, about two-thirds are men. About 10,000 men and 5,000 women die from kidney cancer each year in the U.S.
On average, a man’s risk for kidney cancer is pretty low — just 2.2%. However, that risk jumps up considerably if you have major risk factors. The #1 risk factor is smoking.
Our expert and compassionate urologist, Alex Lesani, MD, wants you to focus on kidney health to preserve your overall health. We offer kidney evaluation, kidney stone treatment, and kidney cancer diagnosis and treatment at our office in Las Vegas, Nevada.
How does smoking affect your kidneys? Read on to find out.
Your kidneys are filtration organs that remove waste products, toxins, and excess fluid from the blood that flows through them. The kidneys produce urine so that you can excrete those filtered toxins and fluid when you pee.
Every day, your kidneys filter about a bathtub’s worth of fluids. They excrete about two quarts of urine daily. Then they circulate the remaining filtered fluid back through your body.
These small multitaskers keep you healthy in a multitude of other ways. In addition to filtering and balancing fluids, they:
It’s important to stay hydrated throughout the day so that your kidneys receive a steady stream of fluids. Dehydration can cause the formation of painful kidney stones and lead to other complications, including increased susceptibility to cancer.
You’ve probably heard for all of your life that smoking is the main cause of lung cancer. That makes sense: Smoke goes directly into your lungs. So how does “smoke” get into your kidneys?
Cigarettes are filled with toxins. When you smoke, those toxins find their way into your bloodstream. The toxins interfere with your ability to fight cancer in two very important ways.
First, they weaken your immune system. A robust immune system constantly kills cancer cells and even some tiny tumors before they have the chance to grow larger.
Yes, that means you may have cancer cells in your body, even when you’re healthy. Cells sometimes get damaged or create errors when they divide, and can become cancer cells. A weakened immune system doesn’t have the energy and resources to kill the cancer cells. They start to grow out of control.
Second, the toxins in cigarettes damage your cells’ DNA. A cell with damaged DNA is more likely to grow out of control and become a cancer cell. Add that to your body’s reduced capacity to kill these extra cancer cells, and you have a problem.
Whether you have kidney cancer yet or not, the first step is to stop smoking. When you stop smoking, you stop damaging cellular DNA and creating more cancer cells. You also allow your immune system to begin repairing and rebuilding.
A diagnosis of kidney cancer isn’t the time to shrug your shoulders and give up, saying, “Why should I quit now? I already have cancer.” In fact, quitting smoking after a kidney cancer diagnosis improves your survival odds.
Up to 20% of men and women with kidney cancer are active smokers at the time of diagnosis. Research has shown that continuing to smoke increases your risk of dying.
Quitting smoking has the opposite effect. In fact, smokers who quit smoking after a kidney cancer diagnosis have a nearly 50% less risk of dying and 56% less risk of disease progression than those who continue to smoke.
If you struggle to quit smoking, we can refer you to a cessation program. You may also benefit from short-term use of GLP-1 agonists, which can reduce your craving for cigarettes.
If you have changes in urination or pelvic pain that may be related to kidney disease or kidney cancer, get the diagnosis and treatment you need to preserve your health by phoning us at 702-470-2579 or booking your appointment online today.
isn’t as well-known as skin cancer, lung cancer, or prostate cancer, but it’s still a major concern. Of the more than 80,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States, about two-thirds are men. About 10,000 men and 5,000 women die from kidney cancer each year in the U.S.
On average, a man’s risk for kidney cancer is pretty low — just 2.2%. However, that risk jumps up considerably if you have major risk factors. The #1 risk factor is smoking.
Our expert and compassionate urologist, Alex Lesani, MD, wants you to focus on kidney health to preserve your overall health. We offer kidney evaluation, kidney stone treatment, and kidney cancer diagnosis and treatment at our office in Las Vegas, Nevada.
How does smoking affect your kidneys? Read on to find out.
Your kidneys are filtration organs that remove waste products, toxins, and excess fluid from the blood that flows through them. The kidneys produce urine so that you can excrete those filtered toxins and fluid when you pee.
Every day, your kidneys filter about a bathtub’s worth of fluids. They excrete about two quarts of urine daily. Then they circulate the remaining filtered fluid back through your body.
These small multitaskers keep you healthy in a multitude of other ways. In addition to filtering and balancing fluids, they:
It’s important to stay hydrated throughout the day so that your kidneys receive a steady stream of fluids. Dehydration can cause the formation of painful kidney stones and lead to other complications, including increased susceptibility to cancer.
You’ve probably heard for all of your life that smoking is the main cause of lung cancer. That makes sense: Smoke goes directly into your lungs. So how does “smoke” get into your kidneys?
Cigarettes are filled with toxins. When you smoke, those toxins find their way into your bloodstream. The toxins interfere with your ability to fight cancer in two very important ways.
First, they weaken your immune system. A robust immune system constantly kills cancer cells and even some tiny tumors before they have the chance to grow larger.
Yes, that means you may have cancer cells in your body, even when you’re healthy. Cells sometimes get damaged or create errors when they divide, and can become cancer cells. A weakened immune system doesn’t have the energy and resources to kill the cancer cells. They start to grow out of control.
Second, the toxins in cigarettes damage your cells’ DNA. A cell with damaged DNA is more likely to grow out of control and become a cancer cell. Add that to your body’s reduced capacity to kill these extra cancer cells, and you have a problem.
Whether you have kidney cancer yet or not, the first step is to stop smoking. When you stop smoking, you stop damaging cellular DNA and creating more cancer cells. You also allow your immune system to begin repairing and rebuilding.
A diagnosis of kidney cancer isn’t the time to shrug your shoulders and give up, saying, “Why should I quit now? I already have cancer.” In fact, quitting smoking after a kidney cancer diagnosis improves your survival odds.
Up to 20% of men and women with kidney cancer are active smokers at the time of diagnosis. Research has shown that continuing to smoke increases your risk of dying.
Quitting smoking has the opposite effect. In fact, smokers who quit smoking after a kidney cancer diagnosis have a nearly 50% less risk of dying and 56% less risk of disease progression than those who continue to smoke.
If you struggle to quit smoking, we can refer you to a cessation program. You may also benefit from short-term use of GLP-1 agonists, which can reduce your craving for cigarettes.
If you have changes in urination or pelvic pain that may be related to kidney disease or kidney cancer, get the diagnosis and treatment you need to preserve your health by phoning us at 702-470-2579 or booking your appointment online today.
