KIDNEY CANCER FACT SHEET


In 1993, there were an estimated 27,200 new cases of kidney cancer diagnosed in
the United States.  Males accounted for 16,800 new cases with females
accounting for the other 10,400 cases.

An estimated 11,000 Americans died from kidney cancer in 1993.  These deaths
were split 6,500 males and 4,500 females.

        Approximately 917 Americans die of kidney cancer in an average
        month, about 1 every 45 minutes.

        During the ten years of war in Vietnam, 483 Americans died in
        an average month.

1,170,000 new cases of cancer were estimated for 1993.  Kidney cancer is the
eleventh most common form of cancer.  While only 2 percent of all cancer cases,
kidney cancer causes more deaths than melanoma, rectal, and uterine cancer.

The cost of cancer to the U.S. economy was about $ 110 billion in 1992, an
amount growing by 9.8 percent annually.  Cancer is the single most expensive
disease in the U.S. economy.  On a pro rata basis, kidney cancer cost $ 2.4
billion in 1992, or about $ 95,000 for each new kidney cancer case diagnosed.

There are over 8 million cancer patients in the U.S. today, people who have
"tested positive" for cancer.  By comparison, there are about 1.5 million
Americans who have tested positive for the HIV antibody with about 75 percent
of these developing AIDS.  During the 1980's, many more people died of kidney
cancer than died of AIDS.  Until 1987, there were more cases of kidney cancer.

Kidney cancer is often "curable" by removal of the kidney when the tumor is
localized.  In about 35 percent of newly diagnosed cases, the disease has
spread beyond the kidney with over 15 percent of patients showing Stage IV
disease, spread to distant organs, at time of diagnosis.  Once it has spread,
kidney cancer is difficult to stop because it is resistant to chemotherapy. 
Early diagnosis is, therefore, critical.

Symptoms include:  blood in the urine, abdominal mass, back or flank pain,
weight loss, low blood counts, tumor calcification on x-ray, and fever.  Kidney
cancer is often misdiagnosed due to its varied symptoms.

Radiation is not commonly used except for metastatic disease of the bone or
brain.  Conventional chemotherapy has proven to be ineffective with single
digit response rates being common.  New combination therapies are better.

Immunotherapy to stimulate the immune system is often the best therapy such as
combination with alpha-interferon, interleukin-2 and 5FU.  While only about 22
percent of patients respond to IL-2 alone, new experimental therapies are now
achieving response rates as high as 65 percent.  Gene therapy and radioactive
monoclonal antibody trials are also underway.