Get to know kidney cancer, a malignant disease that Vidi Aldiano suffered from and had to have one kidney removed

foto: Instagram/@vidialdiano

Vidi Aldiano's confession about the illness he suffered shocked a number of people. Moreover, Vidi admits that he now lives with one kidney

Brilio.net - In December 2019, singer Vidi Aldiano announced that he had been diagnosed with stage 3 kidney cancer. This news shocked the public and of course made many of his fans concerned.

Vidi said that he first felt symptoms of kidney cancer in October 2019. At that time, he felt severe back pain and urinated frequently. After carrying out an examination, Vidi was diagnosed with kidney cancer and had to undergo surgery.

Vidi Aldiano underwent surgery to remove his kidney. After undergoing surgery, the singer, who is known as the ambassador of friendship, underwent recovery and chemotherapy for several months. In April 2020, Vidi announced that he had completed his chemotherapy regimen. Until now it is still in a state of recovery.

So, what exactly is the kidney cancer that attacked Vidi Aldiano? following is the review.

Vidi Aldiano's kidney cancer
Instagram/@vidialdiano

Reporting from the Cancer Council, a charity in Australia that focuses on cancer explains that kidney cancer is cancer that starts in the kidney cells. The most common type of cancer is renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which accounts for approximately 90% of all cases. Usually only one kidney is affected, but in rare cases, this cancer can develop in both kidneys.

Apart from RCC, there are also other less common types of kidney cancer, such as urothelial carcinoma which can start in the ureters or kidney hips. Well, this type is often considered like bladder cancer and Wilms' tumor, which mostly occurs in young children, although it is rare.

It is estimated that more than 430,000 people were diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2020, making it the 14th most common cancer in the world. According to the Indonesia Cancer Care Community (ICCC), in Indonesia alone there were 2,394 new cases of kidney cancer and 1,358 deaths in 2020.

Vidi Aldiano's kidney cancer
Instagram/@vidialdiano

In its early stages, kidney cancer is often asymptomatic, meaning it does not cause obvious symptoms. However, when symptoms begin to appear, the disease can produce blood in the urine.

Apart from that, sufferers will urinate frequently, especially at night, and the color of the urine will change to dark, rusty or brown. Another symptom that may occur is pain in the side or lower back that is not caused by injury. Then there was also a lump in the stomach.

Apart from that, sufferers will also feel fatigue easily and weight loss tends to be rapid. Sometimes it is even accompanied by a fever that is not caused by colds or flu at all. It is important to note that these symptoms can be mixed with other illnesses, so consulting a doctor is a wise step if you have concerns regarding a health condition.

Although the exact cause of kidney cancer is not yet fully known, there are several factors that can increase a person's risk of developing this disease. Smoking, for example, is known to increase the risk of kidney cancer by up to two times compared to those who do not smoke.

In addition, exposure to certain chemicals in the workplace, such as arsenic, metal degreasers, or cadmium which are often used in the mining industry. Of course this also increases the risk of developing the disease.

Other factors that can increase a person's chances of developing kidney cancer include a family history of the disease, being overweight or obese, and high blood pressure. In many cases, men tend to have a higher risk of developing kidney cancer than women.

Vidi Aldiano's kidney cancer
Instagram/@vidialdiano

The first step that needs to be taken if you are infected with this disease is to carry out an examination of the stage of spread. CT scans, bone examinations (radioisotope scans), and chest X-rays are performed to determine how extensive the cancer is. The most common grading system used for kidney cancer is the TNM system, which describes the stages of cancer from stage I to stage IV.

After that, monitor it actively. If a small tumor is found in a person's kidney, a doctor may recommend active monitoring or observation because the tumor is unlikely to be aggressive, and may not progress during life. People affected by the disease will undergo regular ultrasound or CT scans to monitor the tumor.

Next, of course, do surgery. The main treatment for kidney cancer is surgery, either alone or with radiation therapy (radiotherapy), which will depend on how widespread the cancer is.

Radical nephrectomy (removal of the affected kidney) is the most common type of surgery for renal cell carcinoma. Partial nephrectomy (removal of part of the kidney) may be an option for people who have a small tumor in one kidney (less than 4 cm). In addition, this is also often done for people with cancer in both kidneys, and those who only have one functioning kidney.

Another treatment performed is radiofrequency ablation. A treatment that heats tumors with high-energy waves to kill cancer cells.

Of course, the treatment commonly used to cure cancer is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy (chemo) uses anticancer drugs that are given through a vein (IV) or taken by mouth (in pill form). These drugs enter the blood and reach almost all areas of the body, so this treatment is potentially useful for cancer that has spread (metastasized) to organs outside the kidneys.

Because kidney cancer cells usually do not respond well to chemo, chemo is not a standard treatment for kidney cancer. Some chemo drugs, such as cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and gemcitabine have been shown to help a small number of patients. However, chemotherapy is often only used for kidney cancer after targeted drugs and/or immunotherapy have been tried.

This disease is indeed quite a dangerous disease. If you feel any of the symptoms mentioned above, it's a good idea to see a doctor immediately.

Talking about the illness suffered by Vidi Aldiano. He said that what he experienced was not easy, but Vidi Aldiano had certainly made peace with the situation. Apart from that, the singer of Nuansa Bening also said that since being diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2019, Vidi is much better and closer to God. Even though previously he still doubted the existence of God and claimed to be an agnostic. But now Vidi recognizes the greatness of Allah.

Disclaimer: This translation from Bahasa Indonesia to English has been generated by Artificial Intelligence.