Questions and Answers

In the early stages, kidney cancer frequently causes no symptoms. As cancer grows, symptoms may develop. The most common symptoms in people with kidney cancer include: Blood in the urine; Side or back pain; A mass or lump in the side or lower back; Ongoing tiredness; Appetite loss; Fast weight loss that happens without any […] Read More

More than 60,000 people in the United States are told they have kidney cancer each year. Men get kidney cancer more often than women. People who smoke are more likely to get kidney cancer than nonsmokers. Here are some other risk factors: Having Von Hippel-Lindau disease; Family history of kidney cancer; Obesity; Regular contact with […] Read More

Yes, there are many types of RCC. A pathologist can name them under a microscope based on how they look. Here are some of the types: Clear cell, the most common type of RCC; Papillary, the second most common type; Chromophobe; Collecting duct, which is very rare. Read More

This is cancer that starts in the kidney. The most common type of kidney cancer is called renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The term renal is from the Latin word for kidney. About 90% of all kidney cancers are RCC. The other 10% are transitional cell carcinomas, Wilms tumors (in children), and other rare tumors. Read More

The kidneys are 2 bean-shaped organs. Each is about the size of a fist. You have 1 on either side of your spine in the middle-to-lower back. They have 2 main roles: Filter waste from the blood and make urine; Make the hormone erythropoietin that controls the production of red blood cells in the bone […] Read More

Normal semen is thick and white, but it can have different consistencies. Blood in the semen, if it’s persistent, is a condition called hematospermia, and may relate to a prostate problem. If you have a foul-smelling ejaculate with pain, have your doctor check for infection. Read More

Yes. There is no bone in the penis, but it has a very strong layer around it called the tunica albuginea that allows for rigidity during an erection. A penile fracture occurs when that fibrous connective tissue “breaks” during intercourse. When the erectile bodies fill with blood at high pressure, this strong layer keeps the […] Read More

It is not uncommon to have pain with orgasm after radical prostatectomy. This pain occurs because the deep pelvic muscles have not completely recovered from the trauma of surgery. Read More

Sexual activity can generally be resumed within 4 to 6 weeks after prostate cancer surgery. Most patients tend to resume sexual activity as soon as their urinary control is adequate for sexual activity. For those men who have return of erections, it is a gradual process. Many men, however, do experience improvement over the first […] Read More

The most obvious determinant of post-operative erectile function is how potent the man was prior to the operation. Post-operative erectile dysfunction is compounded in some patients by preexisting risk factors that include: older age, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse, physical inactivity, and certain medications such as antihypertensive drugs. Read More