Kidney Cancer Symptoms

Kidney cancer develops inside the cells of the kidney in one of two principle locations: the renal pelvis (renal cell carcinoma) or the renal tubule (urothelial cell carcinoma).  Kidney cancer from the renal pelvis is usually classified as transitional cell carcinoma, while kidney cancer from the renal tubule is often classified as renal cell carcinoma or clear cell adenocarcinoma.  Kidney cancer is a very common illness, accounting for almost 2% of all diagnosed cancers.  In fact, over 200,000 new cases of kidney cancer are reported each year.  Unfortunately, kidney cancer often goes undiagnosed during its early stages since it rarely shows warning signs until later in its development.

Kidney cancer symptoms include:

Persistent lower back pain on one side
A mass/lump on the abdomen or lower back
Blood in urine (hematuria)
Fatigue, tiredness, or weakness
Constant fever (doesn’t resolve after weeks)
Loss of appetite
Swelling of legs and/or ankles (edema)

Certain factors increase the likelihood of acquiring kidney cancer such as obesity, flawed genetics, or hereditary disposition.  In addition, smoking has been shown to double the chances of kidney cancer.  Treatment of kidney cancer rarely involves radiotherapy or chemotherapy, and instead is often treated by surgical removal of the cancerous cells.  As with most other cancers, early detection is important so don’t hesitate to schedule a screening with your physician if you experience any of the symptoms listed above.