Symptoms of kidney cancer
This page is about the symptoms of kidney cancer. You can find information on
Symptoms of kidney cancer
When kidney cancer first starts to develop, there are often no obvious symptoms. Increasingly, kidney cancers are being picked up on ultrasound scans that are done for other reasons. So they are being found at an earlier stage. Once the cancer begins to grow, the symptoms can become more obvious.
Blood in the urine
This is the most common symptom of kidney cancer. Your doctor may call this haematuria. About half of those diagnosed with kidney cancer will have this symptom when they first go to the doctor.
Sometimes the blood cannot be seen by the naked eye but can be picked up by a simple urine test. If you ever see blood in your urine, you should go to the doctor. Most people who have blood in the urine do not have kidney cancer. In most cases it is caused by an infection, enlargement of the prostate or kidney stones.
A lump
Most kidney cancers are too small to feel, but see your doctor straight away if you feel a lump or swelling in the area of your kidneys.
Other symptoms
Some people have other vague symptoms including tiredness, loss of appetite, weight loss, high temperature with very heavy sweating, a pain in the side that won’t go away, or a general feeling of poor health. Remember that all these symptoms can be caused by many other conditions that are not cancer.
You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the About kidney cancer section.
This is the most common symptom of kidney cancer. Your doctor may call this haematuria. About half of those diagnosed with kidney cancer will have this symptom when they first go to the doctor.
The blood does not have to be there all the time. It can come and go. Sometimes, the blood cannot be seen by the naked eye but can be picked up by a simple urine test. If you ever see blood in your urine, you should go to the doctor.
Remember - most people who go to the doctor with blood in their urine do not have kidney cancer. In the majority of cases, blood in the urine is caused by an infection, enlargement of the prostate, or kidney stones. Even so, a doctor should always investigate blood in the urine. As the bleeding can come and go, both the doctor and the patient may get the impression that the problem has gone away. This can mean that an early, treatable cancer in the kidney or bladder is allowed to grow to the stage where it may not be so easy to treat.
If you feel a lump or swelling in the area of your kidneys, you should go straight to your doctor. Most kidney cancers are too small for you or a doctor to feel. But it is possible for the kidneys to be scanned to check for cancer. There is more about this in the diagnosing kidney cancer section of CancerHelp UK.
Some people can have other symptoms, which can be vague. These are
- Tiredness
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- A high temperature and very heavy sweating
- A pain in the side that won’t go away
- A general feeling of poor health
A high temperature and sweats can be caused by an infection, and your doctor may want to rule this out first.
High blood pressure and having fewer red blood cells than normal (anaemia) can also be symptoms of kidney cancer. These symptoms are related to the hormones that the kidneys produce.
If you have any of the symptoms discussed in this section, go to your doctor for a check-up. Remember that these symptoms can be caused by many other conditions that are not cancer. Most people with these symptoms will not have cancer. But if it is cancer, then the sooner it is diagnosed the easier it will be to treat.
The earlier a cancer is picked up, the easier it is to treat it and the more likely the treatment is to be successful. So it is important that you go to your GP as soon as possible if you notice worrying symptoms.
Increase text
Decrease text
Print this page
