Tobacco use is by far one of the biggest public health threats in the world. Smoking or other means of tobacco consumption is the main cause of cancer. Whereas due to smoking, blood cancer kidney and bladder, small and large intestine, cancer of the mouth and throat, cancer of the respiratory tract and lung, liver and uterus and generally any part of the body becomes the main cause of cancer.
If we talk about kidney cancer, then it has been proved by research that cigarette smokers are 1.36 times more likely to get kidney cancer. Whereas cigarette smokers are more likely to get advanced stage of cancer. Around 400,000 new kidney cancers are being diagnosed worldwide every year. At the same time, about 170000 deaths occur every year due to kidney cancer. Smoking begins with the lungs where the smoke is inhaled. The smoke travels through the lungs, the bloodstream, to the kidneys, where the tumor can grow large before it can be detected.
Tejinder Singh Chauhan, Senior Consultant, Nephrology says, “Unless a patient experiences any kind of pain or blood in the urine, they are not aware of it. Often the patient comes to the emergency ward of the hospital with abdominal pain. If you quit smoking, your risk of developing the condition can be significantly reduced.”
Dr Anuja Porwal, Additional Director and HOD, Nephrology and Kidney Transplant, Fortis Hospital, Noida, told jansatta.com, “Smoking gives rise to many diseases. Recent studies have proved that smoking plays a significant role in kidney diseases. Smoking not only contributes to the development of kidney diseases, but also contributes to the worsening of pre-existing kidney diseases.
Let us tell you that some recent research has also indicated that smoking is also related to cancer deaths of kidney cells, that is, smoking is not only the cause of cancer of kidney cells but it also plays a role in making cancer more serious. And this is the reason why this disease comes out in a very serious form in people who smoke.
The relationship between kidney cancer and blood pressure
Anil Mandhani, Executive Director, Urology and Kidney Transplant, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, told jansatta.com, “Kidney cancer is one of the 10 major cancer diseases affecting adults. Unfortunately, due to lack of awareness and lack of screening procedures like ultrasonography in India, the information about patients being diagnosed with kidney cancer is at a very advanced stage.”
Dr Mandhani said, “My research on this topic has revealed that in America, about 90% of kidney cancers are in the early stages whereas in India, only 15 to 20% of cancers are caught in the early stages. If kidney cancer is detected early then it can be treated.”
In such a situation, the message of health experts is that if you are going to consult a doctor or are getting any kind of lab test, then also get your abdominal ultrasonography done. In this test, kidney cancer is detected early and thus the kidney can be saved. If a cancer is diagnosed without any symptoms, then the chances of its treatment are also better.