The Urologic Oncology Center Guides Patients Through Kidney Cancer Symptoms
University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and the Urologic Oncology Center team helps patients identify whether the physical symptoms they are experiencing are signs of kidney cancer.
Kidney Cancer Symptoms
Often individuals who are suffering from early stages of the condition have no symptoms. Kidney tumors are sometimes identified while patients are being evaluated for unrelated problems such as back or belly pain. Physicians can incidentally identify a kidney tumor when individuals undergo X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, ultrasounds or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Occasionally patients may experience some of the following symptoms:
- Lower back pain that may not be related to another activity, such as lifting a heavy object or an injury
- Blood in the urine
- A lump or mass in the abdomen area
- Unexplained fatigue or sleepiness
- Weight loss, which may or may not be rapid
- A fever that is not caused by a cold or the flu
- Swelling of the ankles and legs
Individuals should remember that the symptoms listed above could be caused by other conditions as well.