Common Marks And Causes Related To Kidney Cancer

Because five-year survival rates increase significantly in patients who have an early diagnosis, detection of kidney cancer symptoms is critical. To learn more about symptoms associated with the disease and contributing risk factors, keep reading.

Symptoms of Kidney Cancer

Bloody Urine: Bloody urine is a common sign of kidney cancer. However, like many kidney cancer symptoms, it can also be associated with bladder cancer and other bladder-related ailments.

Lower Back Pain: Many kidney cancer patients complain of a lower back that’s unrelated to an injury or other causes.

Lump or Bump: In many kidney cancer cases, a mass or lump can be felt in the stomach.

General Fatigue: Though fatigue is not a specific symptom, meaning it’s often found in other diseases and cancer, it’s a common symptom of kidney cancer that can help doctors make a diagnosis.

Weight Loss: Weight loss that is both unintentional and rapid is often a sign of kidney cancer. However, this symptom is also common to many other diseases and cancers.

Frequent Fevers: Fevers that are consistent, frequent and not connected to other infections (like a flu) can be a symptom of kidney cancer.

Swelling: Swelling in the legs and ankles (also known as edema) is a common kidney cancer symptom.

High Blood Pressure: Again, high blood pressure is a symptom associated with many diseases, but when tracked in conjunction with other symptoms, it can often lead doctors to a kidney cancer diagnosis.

Risk Factors and Causes of Kidney Cancer

Smoking: Smoking is the cause of 30% of renal cell carcinoma (common kidney cancer) cases in male smokers and 25% of cases in women.

Analgesic Medication: Addictions to painkillers that contain phenactin, which is no longer approved in the United States, can dramatically increase a person’s risk for kidney cancer.

Occupational Exposure: Exposure to carcinogenic materials at work like asbestos, petroleum products, camium and certain organic solvents can all increase the risk for developing kidney cancer.

Genetic Disorders: Genetic disorders that affect the kidney (e.g.: tuberous sclerosis) will increase the risk for kidney cancer. In addition, a strong family history (at least two close family members diagnosed with the disease) will also increase a patient’s risk.

Weight Gain: Obese people are at a higher risk for developing kidney cancer than others who keep their weight at a reasonable and healthy level.

Kidney Failure: People with a history of kidney failures may develop cysts in their kidneys as a result. These cysts can expedite the development of kidney cancer.

Advancing Age: Typically, renal cell carcinoma only develops in adults over the age of fifty and under seventy.

Gender: RCC (renal cell carcinoma) kidney cancer is twice as common in men than women.

If you have or have been exposed to any of the above risk factors for kidney cancer, it’s critical that you be aware of kidney cancer symptoms. Should you experience any of the listed symptoms of this cancer - or any cancer - be sure to talk to your doctor about treatments.

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