The kidneys are bean-shaped excretory organs in vertebrates. Part of the urinary system, the kidneys filter wastes (especially urea) from the blood and excrete them, along with water, as urine. The medical field that studies the kidneys and diseases affecting the kidney is called nephrology, from the Greek name for the kidney; the adjective meaning "kidney-related" is renal, from the Latin.
In humans, the kidneys are located in the posterior part of the abdomen. There is one on each side of the spine; the right kidney sits just below the liver, the left below the diaphragm and adjacent to the spleen. Above each kidney is an adrenal gland (also called the suprarenal gland). The asymmetry within the abdominal cavity caused by the liver results in the right kidney to be slightly lower than the left one.
The kidneys are retroperitoneal, which means they lie behind the peritoneum, the lining of the abdominal cavity. They are approximately at the vertebral level T12 to L3, and the right kidney usually lies slightly lower than the left in order to accommodate the liver. The upper parts of the kidneys are partially protected by the eleventh and twelfth ribs, and each whole kidney is surrounded by two layers of fat (the perirenal fat and the pararenal fat) which help to cushion it. In very rare cases, it is possible to have developed three kidneys.
More on [ Kidney ]

Steve Dunn's Kidney Cancer Page - Comprehensive information from a survivor especially oriented to treatment options, with links to discussion groups.
CancerBacup: Kidney Cancer Information Centre - Addresses such topics as symptoms, diagnosis, staging, and treatment.
Meta Description: [ Information about kidney cancer, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, side effects and further resources. ]
Ellis Fischel Cancer Center: Renal Cell Carcinoma - Summary information about kidney cancer provided by this University of Missouri resource in a fact sheet format.
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Kidney Cancer Trials - In-depth information on select renal cell cancer clinical trials including literature references, patient stories and evaluations.
MedicineNet: Kidney Cancer - Consumer health information on causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.
Meta Description: [ There are several types of kidney cancer, including renal cell cancer (renal adenocarcinoma or hypernephroma), transitional cell carcinoma, and Wilms tumor. Symptoms of kidney cancer include blood in the urine, an abdominal lump or mass, chronic pain in the side, and tiredness. Treatment of kidne... ]
MEDLINEplus: Kidney Cancer - Links format topics provided by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Meta Description: [ Kidney Cancer ]
National Cancer Institute: Kidney Cancer - Provides patient and health professional information, including treatment options, prevention, genetics, clinical trials, and research.
Meta Description: [ Information about kidney cancer treatment, clinical trials, research, statistics, and other topics from the National Cancer Institute. ]
NCI: Kidney Cancer - Resource of the U.S. National Cancer Institute which touches on some of the less common manifestations of the disease.
Meta Description: [ Carcinoma of the kidney affects some 27,000 individuals in the United States each year. Until recently relatively little attention was paid to the genetics and histology of renal carcinomas. In the past 10 years major advances have been made in the understanding of the genetic basis of human kidn... ]
UrologyChannel: Kidney Cancer - Gives summary information on an number of topics including risk factors, diagnosis, staging and treatment.
Meta Description: [ Several types of cancer can afflict the kidneys. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the most common form, accounts for approximately 85% of all kidney cancers. In RCC, malignant (cancerous) cells develop in the lining of the kidney's tubules and typically grow into a mass called a tumor. Single tumors a... ]
What You Need to Know about Kidney Cancer - Online booklet from the U.S. National Cancer Institute aimed at patients and caregivers.
Meta Description: [ Information about detection, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of kidney cancer. NIH Publication No. 03-1569 ]
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