Understand the 5 common symptoms of kidney cancer

Kidney cancer, also known as renal cell carcinoma or renal adenocarcinoma, is a malignant tumor with a relatively high incidence rate. It may be caused by factors such as smoking, drinking, high blood pressure, obesity, improper diet, and genetics. Understanding the early symptoms of kidney cancer will help take early measures for treatment.

1. Hematuria

Hematuria is a common symptom of kidney cancer. It is usually painless macroscopic hematuria, but sometimes it is persistent microscopic hematuria. Excessive bleeding may be accompanied by renal colic, which is often caused by blood clots passing through the ureter. The blood clots in kidney cancer hematuria may form strips due to passing through the ureter. The degree of hematuria has nothing to do with the size of kidney cancer.

2. Low back pain

Tumors invading the lumbar spine can cause low back pain, which is mostly dull pain. The pain is often caused by the growth of the tumor and the swelling of the renal capsule. Blood clots passing through the ureter can also cause low back pain. As the tumor grows, the pain becomes more severe and persistent.

3. Lumps

About 10% of kidney cancer patients may develop a mass. The kidney is relatively hidden, so it is difficult to detect a mass before the cancer reaches a considerable size. Generally, a mass felt in the abdomen is already a late-stage symptom.

4. Varicocele

The characteristic is that it does not disappear after lying down, and is caused by tumor thrombus in the renal vein or inferior vena cava blocking blood return in the spermatic vein.

5. Extrarenal manifestations

The kidney is an important endocrine organ. Under normal circumstances, it can synthesize and secrete prostaglandin E1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, renin and erythropoietin. Patients with renal cancer can secrete these hormones at higher levels than normal, resulting in about 20% of extra-renal systemic symptoms such as hypercalcemia.