What are the symptoms of kidney cancer
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a type of kidney cancer that first develops in the small tubes of this internal organ. It is more common in adults who are between 50 and 70 years old. A large proportion of kidney cancer cases are detected in the early stages of the disease. However, it is possible for them to go undiagnosed until the later stages because sometimes these tumours can spread or grow very large without causing any pain or other symptoms. For more information and to know in detail what are the symptoms of kidney cancer, keep reading this OneHowTo article.
Steps to follow:
First, you should know that the most common type of kidney cancer is called RCC, which it is more common in adult males who are between 50 and 70 years old, but it can also develop at any age. The causes of this cancer have not been completely determined, but there are some factors that may increase your chances of developing it such as: having a family history of this disease, suffering from hypertension, suffering from polycystic kidney disease, smoking, or having Von Hippel-Lindau disease, a hereditary disease that causes tumours to grow in the parts of the body where there is a large number of blood vessels.
In its early stages, kidney cancer does not cause any symptoms to warn you that you have a malignant tumour, which means that it often goes undiagnosed. Normally, when the cancer is finally diagnosed, the disease is already at an advanced stage, as symptoms tend to only appear once the cancer has spread to other organs.
The signs and symptoms of kidney cancer can also be caused by other conditions and disorders. For this reason, if you experience any of the symptoms, do not panic. Get yourself checked out by a doctor to determine the actual cause of the symptoms.
The most common symptom of kidney cancer is blood in the urine, a condition medically known as 'haematuria'. This usually does not cause the patient any pain, if it grows very large it can potentially cause renal colic due to clots that form inside the ureter, the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder.
Furthermore, blood in our urine can appear alongside other symptoms of kidney cancer such as:
- Constant or reoccurring fever
- Sudden and quick weight loss without any changes in your diet
- Loss of appetite
- Tiredness and weakness
- Anaemia
- Generally feeling unwell
- Feeling a lump or mass in the lower back or side
- Prolonged pain on one side of the lower back, abdomen or lower back
- Swelling of the legs.
Because the adrenal gland that is located just above the kidney can also be affected, you could experience hormonal changes that are often the reason behind symptoms such as
- High blood pressure
- Increased blood viscosity
- High blood calcium levels
- Gynecomastia, which is the medical term used to refer to breast growth in men.
It is essential to remember that just because you have one or more of the above symptoms, it doesn't necessarily mean that you are suffering from kidney cancer. However, it is always best to see your doctor immediately for the relevant tests to know for sure what is causing these symptoms.
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This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.
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