Health Care

By: Trevor Price

Because five-year survival rates increase significantly in patients who are diagnosed early, detection of kidney cancer symptoms is critical. To learn more about symptoms associated with the disease and contributing risk factors, keep reading.

Symptoms of Kidney Cancer

Bloody Urine: Bloody urine is a common sign of kidney cancer. However, like many kidney cancer symptoms, it can also be associated with bladder cancer and other bladder-related ailments.

Back Pain: Many people diagnosed with kidney cancer experience low back pain that isn't associated with an injury or other physical ailment.

Lump: A lump or mass in the abdomen is often felt or found by patients with kidney cancer.

General Fatigue: Though fatigue is not a specific symptom, meaning it's often found in other diseases and cancer, it's a common symptom of kidney cancer that can help doctors make a diagnosis.

Loss of Appetite: Unintentional weight loss that happens quickly can be a symptom of kidney cancer. Many patients lose their appetites, have trouble eating and digesting, and tend to lose weight quickly.

Frequent Fevers: Fevers that are consistent, frequent and not connected to other infections (like a flu) can be a symptom of kidney cancer.

Swelling: Edema, also known as swelling in the lower legs is a typical kidney cancer symptom most apparent in women.

Higher Blood Pressure: Like many of the other symptoms listed above, high blood pressure can be attributed to numerous other diseases. However, if discovered alongside other symptoms, it can often be a good indicator for the disease.

Risk Factors for Kidney Cancer

Smoking: Smoking is the cause of 30% of renal cell carcinoma (common kidney cancer) cases in male smokers and 25% of cases in women.

Analgesic Medication: Addictions to painkillers that contain phenactin, which is no longer approved in the United States, can dramatically increase a person's risk for kidney cancer.

Exposure at the Work Place: Workers who are exposed to products like organic solvents, petroleum by-products, camium and asbestos all have an increased risk for developing kidney cancer.

Genetic Disorders: Genetic disorders of the kidney, such as tuberous sclerosis, von Hippel-Lindau disease or a heavy family history of the disease can all increase a person's risk for developing kidney cancer.

Obesity: People who are obese or very overweight are more at risk for developing renal cell kidney cancer than those who maintain a healthy body weight.

Long-Term Kidney Failure: Persistent and consistent kidney failure can cause cysts to form in the kidney, therefore increasing the cancer risk.

Advancing Age: Typically, renal cell carcinoma only develops in adults over the age of fifty and under seventy.

Male or Female: Men are twice more likely to develop kidney cancer, like renal cell carcinoma, than women.

If you have or have been exposed to any of the above risk factors for kidney cancer, it's critical that you be aware of kidney cancer symptoms. Should you experience any of the listed symptoms, be sure to talk to your doctor without delay.

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