Kidney Cancer Symptoms

Sophie Matzik is a freelance writer for the medical team.

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In most cases, kidney cancer symptoms cannot be clearly identified. The first signs of a malignant kidney tumor can be blood in the urine and flank or back pain. However, the disease often lasts for a long time without any symptoms. Kidney cancer is therefore often discovered only by chance. Read here which signs can indicate kidney cancer.

ICD codes for this disease: ICD codes are internationally recognized codes for medical diagnoses. They can be found, for example, in doctor's letters or on certificates of incapacity for work. C64C65

Kidney cancer: symptoms often only in an advanced stage

In most cases, kidney cancer proceeds without any symptoms at first. Only when the growth becomes larger do many patients complain of the first symptoms: Kidney cancer can manifest itself, for example, in blood in the urine (hematuria) and pain in the back and flank. Only rarely can the tumor be felt as a lump in the kidney region.

Other possible kidney cancer symptoms - as with other cancers - are tiredness, fever, loss of appetite and unwanted weight loss.

In some cases, high blood pressure (hypertension) suddenly develops. Anemia and high levels of calcium in the blood (due to the formation of bone metastases) are also possible indications of a kidney tumor. Symptoms such as liver dysfunction are also seen in rarer cases.

Another sign of kidney cancer can occur in men: if the tumor enters one of the kidney veins, a varicose vein rupture can develop in the testicle (varicocele).

Often a chance diagnosis

If there are no kidney cancer symptoms yet, doctors speak of asymptomatic kidney cancer. At this early stage, the tumor is often discovered by chance during other examinations. For example, kidney cancer can be diagnosed with ultrasound (sonography) - for example during prenatal care - or with computed tomography (CT). The tumors are then usually still very small. If they are treated consistently straight away, there is a good chance of recovery and kidney cancer symptoms often do not even occur.

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