Renal Cell Carcinoma Symptoms

Renal cell carcinoma symptoms can be found in a yearly medical exam when blood tests comeback or a chest x-ray reveals a kidney mass. When the doctor touches the flank area and feels a lump there or when a dull pain is felt when the area of the kidney in the back is touched. When a urologist performs a checkup any urinary symptoms will be diagnosed to their source. The advantage of a urology exam is that many symptoms such as microscopic hematuria, urinary retention, painful urination, and back pain can originate in multiple organs in the urinary system.

Renal cell carcinoma symptoms include gross hematuria (blood in urine), microscopic hematuria (microhematuria), and a kidney mass that can be felt on the flank (the left or right side of the back just under the ribs) with the hand. Gross hematuria can be easily seen as red, brown or pink urine. Microscopic hematuria is usually found after the results of a urine specimen come back from the lab after an annual medical check-up. Since microscopic hematuria manifests from many causes the test is usually performed a second time ruling out temporary inflammatory tissue in the urinary tract. A kidney mass can be felt in the flank which needs to be confirmed with medical imaging.

Renal cell carcinoma symptoms can include a loss of appetite, weight loss, feeling tired, anemia, and in a state of malaise. Other kidney cancer symptoms are a fever, night sweats, abnormal blood test results (high red blood cell or calcium), and pain in the back (flank).

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