The kidneys are the primary organs of the urinary system. The urinary system is a liquid waste disposal system that is used to eliminate various unnecessary components of the blood. The urinary system also eliminates toxins that have been removed from the blood. The kidneys are the organs responsible for this process of elimination. The blood passes through the kidneys where it is filtered for various products that are not required for the body or those products that may be harmful to the body. These filtered products are passed into the urinary bladder where they collect before being eliminated through urination. The kidneys also filter out some water which is passed into the bladder as well. This reduces the acidity of the urine and allows its safe passage through the urethra without any damage being caused. People who drink insufficient quantities of water suffer from the problem of urinary acidity because of the lack of water filtered out by the kidneys. The kidneys are a pair of organs which function independently of each other. It is possible for an individual to survive with only one functioning kidney.
Cancer is a dangerous and progressive condition that is life threatening. It occurs when a genetic mutation causes abnormal cells to begin to develop in the body. These abnormal cells grow into bunches known as tumors. It is possible for a tumor to be non cancerous. This type of tumor is known as a benign tumor. Cancerous tumors are referred to as malignant tumors Cancerous tumors are aggressive and tend to grow quickly. They kill the healthy cells of the body and live off the nutrition supplied by the body. When cancer reaches an advanced stage, it spreads across the body in a process known as metastasis.
Kidney cancer affects the kidneys. It may affect different parts of the kidney. Modern medical testing is developing a urine test for kidney cancer. This test will be able to identify the presence of cancer in the kidneys based on the chemical composition of the urine. Currently, the presence of blood in the urine, hematuria, is considered to be a possible sign of kidney cancer as it indicates bleeding within the urinary system. Other symptoms of kidney cancer include a palpable mass. This mass is usually the first sign of something being wrong because other symptoms take much longer to develop. A urine test for kidney cancer may be able to catch the cancer before other perceptible symptoms begin to develop.