Kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, begins in the kidneys, two vital organs responsible for filtering blood and producing urine. The most common type of kidney cancer is renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which starts in the cells that line the small tubes within the kidneys.
Several factors that can cause or promote kidney cancer include genetic predisposition and lifestyle choices, such as smoking, diet, and alcohol consumption.
Exposure to carcinogenic substances is another major cause of kidney cancer. Certain pharmaceutical medications and environmental exposures are linked to an increased risk of developing kidney cancer.
Related article: What Causes Cancer?
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Understanding Kidney Cancer
The kidneys play a crucial role in maintaining the body's balance by filtering waste, excess water, and impurities from the blood. They also produce essential hormones that regulate blood pressure and stimulate red blood cell production.
Kidney cancer typically goes undetected in its early stages because it often doesn't cause noticeable symptoms. As the disease progresses, symptoms may include blood in the urine, persistent pain in the side or back, unexplained weight loss, and fatigue.
Early detection is critical for successful treatment, but knowing the underlying causes can also play a vital role in prevention.
Common Causes of Kidney Cancer
Genetic Factors
Family history plays a significant role in increasing the risk of kidney cancer. Certain inherited conditions, such as von Hippel-Lindau disease, hereditary leiomyomatosis, and hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma, can predispose individuals to develop the disease.
Lifestyle Factors
- Smoking: One of the most significant lifestyle-related risks for kidney cancer is smoking. Smokers are at a higher risk of developing RCC compared to non-smokers. The chemicals in tobacco are known to damage kidney cells, leading to cancerous changes over time.
- Obesity: Excess body weight, particularly when combined with high blood pressure, increases the risk of kidney cancer. Obesity leads to hormonal changes and inflammation, contributing to cancer development.
- High Blood Pressure: Hypertension is another notable risk factor. Although the exact mechanism isn't fully understood, high blood pressure is thought to damage the kidneys, making them more susceptible to cancer.
Occupational and Environmental Exposures
Long-term exposure to certain chemicals, such as asbestos, cadmium, and trichloroethylene, has been linked to a higher risk of kidney cancer. Workers in industries like painting, printing, or those involving chemical solvents are often at an increased risk.
Dangerous Drugs and Environmental Factors Linked to Kidney Cancer
Beyond the common causes, there is growing concern about specific dangerous drugs and environmental factors that have been linked to an increased risk of kidney cancer.
These include NDMA-contaminated drugs like Zantac and Valsartan, exposure to PFAS substances in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF firefighting foam), and contaminated water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.
Each of these exposures is associated with kidney cancer. Collectively, they put millions of Americans at risk. Here is a closer look at these risks:
Toxins in Zantac and Valsartan
NDMA (N-Nitrosodimethylamine) is classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a probable human carcinogen, meaning it is likely to cause cancer.
NDMA can form as a byproduct in certain drugs, including Zantac (ranitidine) and Valsartan, a medication used to treat high blood pressure.
Zantac (Ranitidine)
Zantac was a widely used prescription drug used to treat heartburn, acid reflux, and other stomach-related issues. However, in 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discovered that some batches of Zantac contained high levels of NDMA.
Subsequent investigations revealed that NDMA could form in the drug over time, particularly when stored at higher temperatures. The presence of NDMA in Zantac eventually prompted its withdrawal from the market.
Clinical research has linked prolonged exposure to NDMA to an increased risk of developing kidney cancer. As a result, many individuals who used Zantac regularly are now pursuing legal claims against the manufacturers.
Valsartan
Valsartan is a prescription drug mainly used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. As with Zantac, certain batches of Valsartan were found to be contaminated with NDMA. Investigators traced the contamination to manufacturing processes at facilities in China and India.
The discovery prompted widespread recalls of Valsartan and other similar medications. Patients who took contaminated Valsartan over an extended period may have been exposed to dangerous levels of NDMA, significantly increasing their risk of kidney cancer.
Legal actions against the manufacturers of Valsartan are currently ongoing, with claims focusing on the failure to ensure the safety of the drug.
Exposure to AFFF Firefighting Foam
Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) is a fire suppressant used primarily by firefighters, military personnel, and in industrial settings to extinguish flammable liquid fires. While effective at putting out fires, AFFF contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a family of man-made chemicals known for their persistence in the environment and the human body.
PFAS are commonly called forever chemicals due to their inability to decompose in the human body and the environment.
PFAS exposure has been linked to an elevated risk of kidney cancer and several other serious health issues. The chemicals can accumulate in the kidneys, leading to cellular damage and increasing the likelihood of cancer development.
PFAS and Kidney Cancer Risk
Firefighters and others who have had long-term exposure to AFFF are at an elevated risk for kidney cancer and other illnesses. Studies have shown that individuals exposed to AFFF have higher incidences of kidney cancer compared to the general population.
This has led to numerous lawsuits against AFFF manufacturers of AFFF, alleging that they failed to warn users of PFAS cancer risks.
Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune
Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in North Carolina has been at the center of one of the most significant environmental contamination cases in U.S. history.
From 1953 through 1987, the water supply at Camp Lejeune became contaminated with a multitude of toxic substances, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE), as well as benzene and vinyl chloride.
Contaminated water and Kidney Cancer Risk
Camp Lejeune's decades-long water contamination has been linked to numerous health problems among veterans, their families, and civilians who lived or worked on the base during the contamination period.
The chemicals that were once present in Camp Lejeune's water supply are known to cause kidney damage and cancer. The U.S. government recognizes kidney cancer as one of the eight presumptive illnesses associated with Camp Lejeune.
This means that anyone with kidney cancer who lived on the base from 1953 to 1987 is presumed to have gotten kidney cancer from the base's water.
The discovery of the water contamination led to the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, which allows those affected to seek compensation.
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