Early Warning Signs of Kidney Cancer

The kidneys are bean-sized organs located on each side of the back, hidden underneath the rib cage. The kidneys have a number of different responsibilities including removing waste products and excess fluids from the body, regulating the body’s salt, potassium and acid content and creating hormones. When cancer develops in the kidney, it’s known as kidney cancer or Renal Cell Adenocarcinoma.

Kidney cancer is ranked among the top ten most common cancers in the world. According to the American Cancer Society, there are about 76,080 new cases of kidney cancer, and about 13, 380 deaths from this disease annually.

What Is Kidney Cancer?

Kidney cancer develops when there is rapid growth of cells in the kidney. When normal cells start growing out of control, they clump together and form a mass known as a tumor. When the tumor begins to form, it can grow uncontrollably and spread to the other kidney and beyond.

The rapid growth of cells is what makes cancer a high-risk disease. Growth may remain undetected in the early stages since there are often no symptoms. Some of the risk factors of kidney cancer include obesity, smoking, and exposure to asbestos or cadmium.

Early Warning Signs

The most common warning sign of kidney cancer is specks of blood in the urine, also known as hematuria. Other common symptoms include:

• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• A lump on the lower back
• Lower back pain
• Night sweats
• Fatigue
• Swollen testicle
• High blood pressure
• Swelling of the legs or ankles
• Recurring fever
• Anemia

Treatment Options for Every Stage

Once doctors diagnose kidney cancer, they stage the cancer to determine the appropriate course of treatment.

Stage I

Stage I cancer is confined to the kidneys and the tumors are still small. The tumors are monitored through regular CT scans and ultrasounds to determine the extent of their growth. If the tumors are actively growing, the doctors may recommend surgery to remove the cancer. The tumors are removed through a process known as partial nephrectomy, which involves removing part of the kidney.

Stage II

At stage II, the cancer has spread to the nearby veins and lymph nodes. If the tumor’s size is between three and seven centimetres, a partial nephrectomy can be done to remove part of the kidney. However, if the tumors are too large, the doctors may recommend removing the entire kidney through a radical nephrectomy.

Stage III

If the kidney cancer has advanced to stage III, it means that it has spread beyond the kidneys into the nearby large veins and lymph nodes. Apart from surgically removing the kidneys, the doctor may need to cut open the enlarged veins to remove the tumor. This process may require the surgeon to put you on a heart-lung machine so that the heart can be stopped briefly when removing the tumor from the veins.

Stage IV

A stage IV, the cancers has spread outside the kidney to other body organs and distant lymph nodes. Treatment options for stage IV kidney cancer depend on the extent to which the tumors have spread and your overall health.

If the tumors are removable, and you are in good health, the doctors may prescribe removing the kidney and the outside spread. Radiation may also be used as an alternative or in addition to surgery. Still, due to the advanced stage of the disease, doctors may use a combination of targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

Talk To Your Doctor

Kidney cancer patients may not display any symptoms at the onset of the disease. Going for regular checkups can help detect it early enough when the disease is still manageable.

If you experience any symptoms of kidney cancer, schedule an appointment with your doctor immeadiately. The doctor may perform a CT scan or ultrasound to determine if there are tumors in the kidney. Once detected, your doctor will recommend a treatment option to suppress the cancer before it advances.