Renal Cancer Symptoms
There are several renal cancer symptoms. These symptoms do not always denote the development of renal cell carcinoma specifically, but kidney cancer in general. The majority of renal cancer cases are exposed by a classic triad of symptoms: hematuria, flank pain and an abdominal mass. Hematuria is the presence of blood in the urine. Urine will have a dark, rusty or brown hue. Flank pain is described as a sharp or dull ache in the lower back, located between the ribs and pelvis. An abdominal mass that is enlarged or swollen can reveal the presence of a lesion in the kidney. The abdomen may be tender to the touch as well. This classic triad of renal cancer symptoms is not always present when a patient first seeks medical attention, but it is integral in the initial diagnosis of renal cell cancer.
A number of other renal cancer symptoms exist:
- Excessive and abnormal weight loss – more than five percent of body weight. The patient will have an emaciated or malnourished appearance.
- Loss of appetite.
- Enlargement of one testicle – generally the left testicle because the renal cell cancer tumor is blocking the left gonadal vein.
- Anemia
- Pain in the side of the body
- Paraneoplastic phenomena – symptoms that are the consequence of renal cell cancer but are not due directly to the local presence of cancer cells; instead, they are usually caused by abnormal hormonal activity.
- Visional abnormalities
- Pallor – abnormal loss of color in the skin or mucous membrane
- Plethora – a ruddy or flushed appearance caused by the engorgement of blood vessels or an increase in blood volume
- Excessive hair growth – seen mostly in females
- Constipation
- Intolerance to cold temperatures
- High blood pressure
- Hypercalcemia – elevated calcium levels
- Polycythemia – increase in the number of total red blood cells