Contents:
- Medical Video: 5 Common Signs of Kidney Cancer
- Characteristics and symptoms of kidney cancer
- Change in urine color
- Back pain
- Appetite disappears
- Fever
- The body gets tired quickly
- Other symptoms of kidney cancer
- How to determine the stage of kidney cancer?
Medical Video: 5 Common Signs of Kidney Cancer
Kidney cancer is one of the fastest growing and widespread cancers in the human body. Being late in getting a diagnosis can have fatal consequences. Unfortunately, the symptoms of kidney cancer are generally not seen at the initial stage so it is quite difficult to recognize their features and get the right diagnosis.
This cancer will only feel symptoms or signs after reaching the intermediate stage to the advanced stage. At an advanced stage, people who have kidney cancer will feel pain and swelling around the waist area. What are the symptoms of kidney cancer that should be watched out for?
Characteristics and symptoms of kidney cancer
Change in urine color
The color of urine (urine) is generally clear, if you routinely consume lots of water every day. Or usually the color of urine that comes out is yellow if the body fluids are dehydrated. However, in people who have kidney cancer, urine will turn reddish or tanned. This is due to the mixing of urine with blood, also called hematuria.
Back pain
Pain like pressure on the back can be a sign of kidney cancer. However, this symptom is usually felt when the tumor mass has enlarged and compresses other tissues around the kidney. Most people are only found to have kidney cancer after undergoing a CT scan or MRI when complaining of back or stomach pain.
Appetite disappears
Weight loss that is not known to cause (for example not being on a diet) usually occurs in chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, pulmonary tuberculosis, and so on.
So, if you experience an appetite that tends to decrease so that your weight drops dramatically, plus other symptoms of kidney problems, you should check with your doctor to detect symptoms of kidney cancer early.
Fever
Fever is experienced probably because of symptoms of decreased appetite and weight. A body that lacks nutrients and fluids will make it easier for you to experience infections and fever.
The body gets tired quickly
A body that feels tired, weak and lethargic can occur due to loss of your appetite. The body will become very weak if it is still not filled with enough food and drink. If this complaint is also accompanied by back pain until the urine is bleeding, immediately check with your doctor.
Other symptoms of kidney cancer
- Blood deficiency or anemia.
- Sweating at night.
- Hypertension or high blood pressure.
- Swelling of blood vessels around the testicles (if kidney cancer is suffered by men).
- Swelling in your ankles or feet.
- Kidney cancer that spreads to other parts of your body can cause other symptoms, such as shortness of breath, coughing up blood, and bone pain.
How to determine the stage of kidney cancer?
If kidney cancer is diagnosed, your doctor needs to know the extent to which the kidney cancer you have. This is to help you choose the best and appropriate treatment. Staging is based on the size of the kidney tumor and whether the cancer has attacked the nearest tissue or spread to other parts of the body. The stages of kidney cancer are:
- Stage I: The tumor is no bigger than a tennis ball (almost 3 inches or about 7 centimeters). Cancer cells are only found in the kidneys.
- Stage II: Tumor is bigger than tennis ball. But cancer cells are only found in the kidneys.
- Stage III: Tumors can vary. This has spread to at least one of the closest lymph nodes. Or it has grown through the kidneys to reach nearby blood vessels.
- Stage IV: Tumors have grown through layers of fat tissue and the outer layer of fibrous tissue that surrounds the kidneys. Or cancer cells have spread to the nearest lymph nodes or to the lungs, liver, bones, or other tissues.
