Kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, forms when cells in the body begin to grow out of control, eventually forming a tumor. The kidneys remove toxic substances from the body, making the gland important for your body to function properly.
That being said, it’s important to ensure your kidneys are healthy in order for your body to stay in tip-top shape. When things start to go south for your kidneys, there are many symptoms to look out for, including…
Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain typically goes unnoticed until the later stages of kidney cancer. This pain typically appears on one side of the lower back and is a non-injury-related pain.
Whether you notice a dull pain or a sharp stab in your lower back, it’s important to see your doctor to address the issue, as this symptom can potentially mean kidney cancer is advanced.
While you might feel internal pain in your lower back, you might experience an external one as well…
A Lump on the Side or Lower Back
If you’ve noticed a lump has appeared on your abdomen, side, or back, it might be a sign of kidney cancer. This hard, bulging bump under the skin doesn’t guarantee that it’s kidney cancer, but it’s important to seek medical treatment just in case.
Cancer can take a lot out of you, as shown by this next symptom…
Extreme Fatigue
As with all types of cancer, kidney cancer can make you feel consistently fatigued. This feeling of tiredness is due to the fact that cancer cells rely on the body’s nutrients to grow and advance, leaving no nutrients left over to replenish the body.
Feeling fatigued doesn’t just mean you feel tired, though, as those with fatigue typically experience a complete lack of motivation and energy. If you’ve noticed that you’ve been consistently fatigued for more than 2 weeks, see a doctor.
The next symptom of kidney cancer greatly contributes to fatigue…
Anemia
It’s not uncommon for cancer patients to have anemia. Anemia refers to a condition in which the body lacks healthy red blood cells, causing reduced oxygen flow to the body’s organs. Cancer typically creates anemia in patients because it causes inflammation that decreases red blood cell production.
As a result, those with anemia typically feel fatigued, irritable, dizzy, and experience a frequent fast heartbeat. If these signs apply to you, be sure to seek medical treatment as soon as possible.
Kidney cancer can cause high amounts of stress, resulting in this next symptom…
Loss of Appetite
In some cases of kidney cancer, the disease can spread to your liver or other organs. When this happens, it often results in a loss of appetite. This symptom can also be caused by a sudden spike in your stress levels as well as metabolic problems.
A loss in appetite can also contribute to sudden and unintentional weight loss…
Weight Loss
A loss of appetite and unintentional weight loss typically go hand-in-hand, especially for cancer patients. When a patient isn’t nourishing their body with the nutrients it needs to fight off disease, it’s likely that they will experience rapid weight loss.
This is because the body uses a majority of the energy within your system to fight off the infection which can dramatically alter your metabolism. If you’ve noticed a recent drop in your weight without dieting, contact your doctor, as this can be a sign of serious illness.
The next symptom of kidney cancer is one of the earliest signs of infection…
Blood in the Urine
One of the earliest and most common symptoms of kidney cancer is blood in the urine, also known as hematuria. While the amount of blood in the urine varies, this is a tell-tale sign of kidney cancer that should not be ignored. Visit your doctor immediately for a possible diagnosis and treatment.
