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What kind of kidney tumor is most common in people with VHL disease, and how is it different from kidney cancer in people without VHL?
VHL disease is a rare illness passed down in families. It can cause tumors and cysts in many parts of the body, including the kidneys.
Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is a rare condition passed down from a parent. It causes tumors and cysts to grow in body parts, including the kidneys. Most growths from VHL disease are benign. That means they are not cancer. But some growths can turn into cancer. This includes some growths in the kidney and pancreas. Because of this, doctors watch kidney growths closely. They treat them based on size and place. Treatment is often surgery. Some tumors are treated with radiation therapy instead. The goal is to treat growths while they are small. This helps stop lasting harm. People with VHL disease need ongoing care. A doctor or medical team who knows the disease should check on them often.
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More about Von Hippel-Lindau disease
- What does it mean when VHL disease is called "autosomal dominant," and why does that matter for my family?
- What does the VHL gene do, and how does a change in it lead to tumors growing throughout the body?
- What is Von Hippel-Lindau disease, and why does it cause tumors and cysts to grow in so many different places?
- What is belzutifan (Welireg), and which VHL disease tumors has the FDA approved it to treat?
- What questions should I ask my care team when talking about treatment options for kidney tumors related to VHL disease?
- When and why do doctors monitor kidney tumors with imaging instead of treating them right away, and what does that monitoring look like?