March is Kidney Cancer Awareness month and we are focusing on making people aware of the signs and symptoms of kidney cancer in today’s article. Kidney cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer and if symptoms arise you should go see your doctor promptly. Sometimes you can mistake these symptoms for other health problems so always consult your health professional first. Below are some signs and symptoms of kidney cancer.
Kidney Cancer Signs and Symptoms
Early kidney cancers do not usually cause any signs or symptoms, but larger ones might. Some possible signs and symptoms of kidney cancer include:
- Blood in the urine (hematuria)
- Low back pain on one side (not caused by injury)
- A mass (lump) on the side or lower back
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss not caused by dieting
- Fever that is not caused by an infection and that doesn’t go away
- Anemia (low red blood cell counts)
These signs and symptoms can be caused by kidney cancer (or another type of cancer), but more often they are caused by other, benign, diseases. For example, blood in the urine is most often caused by a bladder or urinary tract infection or a kidney stone. Still, if you have any of these symptoms, see a doctor so that the cause can be found and treated, if needed.
Original article posted by Cancer.org.