New Hope for Kidney Cancer Patients
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OLBH urologists, William Boykin, M.D., and Timothy Dixon, M.D., performed the hospital's first cryosurgery on the kidneys.
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The kidneys, two large bean-shaped organs on either side of the spine below the rib cage, are responsible for filtering the blood and ridding the body of waste products in the urine. Each year in the United States, an estimated 30,000 people are diagnosed with kidney cancer. The most common type of kidney cancer in adults is renal cell cancer.
In the past, most renal cell cancers were found when a person developed symptoms such as blood in the urine, abdominal pain or weight loss. Because there are not blood or urine tests to screen for renal cell cancer, the cancers can become quite large before found. With the advent of imaging techniques such as CT scanning, ultrasound, and MRI, the majority of renal cell cancers are found incidentally before they reach a large size and become symptomatic. If found and treated early, the survival rate can be very high.
Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital urologists are providing new hope for kidney cancer patients. William Boykin, M.D. and Timothy Dixon, M.D., OLBH urologists, recently performed the hospital's first laparoscopic renal cryoablation surgery. Laparoscopic renal cryoablation is a type of cryosurgery which uses extreme cold temperatures to destroy targeted cancerous tissue on the kidneys. "Cryoablation is ideally suited to treat small, incidentally found renal cell cancers," Dr. Boykin said.
"Before this type of treatment was available, patients had few options," Dr. Boykin explained. "More traditional surgery for kidney cancer sometimes calls for either part of the kidney or the entire kidney to be removed. Laparoscopic renal cryoablation allows us to preserve the kidney, spare healthy kidney tissue and at the same time, destroy the cancer. Patients have a decreased risk of blood loss and kidney failure. They also recover much faster with this advanced approach."
James Russell, of Portsmouth, Ohio, was the first OLBH patient to receive this successful kidney treatment. "I incorporated regular urology visits into my annual exams about 10 years ago," Russell said. "Dr. Boykin is very knowledgeable and explains things in common terms. I really trust him." Fortunately, Mr. Russell's tumor was not cancerous.
Signs and symptoms of renal cell cancer include blood in the urine, fever (not from a cold, the flu or other infection), high blood pressure, low back pain (not from an injury), mass or lump in the belly, swelling of ankles and legs, tiredness, and/or weight loss (rapid, and without a known reason).
The Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital Same Day Surgery Center's dedicated urology operating room offers cystoscopy, an advanced technology to detect cancer by allowing visualization of the bladder, kidney and urethra. "The cystoscopy allows me to examine the urinary system for abnormalities with a cystoscope, a tiny, lighted tube," Dr. Boykin explained. "If indications are that something is out of the ordinary, a sampling of tissue known as a biopsy can be removed. The biopsy helps to determine if cancer is present as well as the type of cancer it is."
Speak to your doctor if you notice any of these problems. For more information about OLBH physicians or services, please call the CareLine at (606) 833-CARE (2273).
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