Kidney Cancer Symptoms

In the early stages of kidney cancer, a person may not experience any symptoms of the disease; however, as the tumor grows, symptoms are more likely to appear. Common symptoms include such things as blood in the urine, pain in the side that does not go away, and a lump or mass in the side or the abdomen. Other common signs and symptoms of kidney cancer may include weight loss, fever, and feeling very tired.

Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Cancer: An Introduction

Kidney cancer usually develops over time. As the cancer cells grow within the kidney, they spread more deeply into the kidney and to surrounding areas. When kidney cancer spreads (metastasizes) outside the kidney, cancer cells are often found in nearby lymph nodes, lungs, bones, or the liver. Kidney cancer may also spread from one kidney to the other. It is helpful to understand this progression in order to understand kidney cancer symptoms, staging, and treatment.
 
This eMedTV article uses the term "kidney cancer" to refer to renal cell carcinoma (also known as renal cell cancer), the most common type of kidney cancer.
 
[For more information about other types of kidney cancer, click Transitional Cell Carcinoma (of the Renal Pelvis) or Wilms' Tumor.]
 

Common Kidney Cancer Symptoms

In early
 kidney cancer stages, patients may not have any symptoms of the disease; however, as the tumor grows, common symptoms of kidney cancer can include:
 
  • Blood in the urine (making the urine appear slightly rusty to deep red)
  • Pain in the side that does not go away
  • A lump or mass in the side or the abdomen
  • Weight loss
  • Fever
  • Feeling very tired or having a general feeling of poor health.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
 
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