Recently, doctor Chien Cheng-hung, director of the Liver Disease Prevention and Treatment Center at Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan, performed an abdominal ultrasound on a patient. Among several common clear fluid cysts, he identified a dark, cloudy cyst. Recognizing this abnormality, the doctor immediately referred the patient to the urology department.

While performing an abdominal ultrasound on the patient, doctor Chien Cheng-hung noticed kidney cysts showing signs of cloudiness and abnormal shapes. *Photo: Facebook*

At the urology department, medical specialists ordered a computed tomography (CT) scan, confirming the man had stage one kidney cancer. This timely screening boosted the patient's five-year survival rate to 95% and offered a highly positive treatment prognosis. Early intervention also allowed doctors to perform minimally invasive surgery, helping the patient preserve valuable kidney function.

Doctor Wu Chun-te, the hospital director, stressed that kidney cancer progresses silently and is dangerous. In its early stages, the disease shows no symptoms; even blood or urine test results do not reveal abnormalities.

Patient survival rates sharply decline over time: stage two reaches over 80%, stage three is about 60%, and the final stage is only 20%. As a result, many miss the "golden window" for treatment, only discovering the disease when it has advanced significantly.

The presence of kidney cysts during health check-ups is common and primarily benign. However, doctor Wu advises people to seek immediate specialized examination if they notice cysts changing shape, becoming darker, cloudy, or distorted. Doctors also remind the public to maintain regular abdominal ultrasounds to identify potentially dangerous conditions early.

By Binh Minh (Source: TVBS)