Kidneys are about the size of a fist. These two bean-shaped organs are located just to the left and the other to the right of the backbone. The lower rib cage protects the kidneys.
Kidney cancer usually grows as a single mass within the kidney. But a kidney can have more than one tumor. Sometimes tumors are found in both kidneys at the same time. The cancer might be found only after it has become very large. Because of the frequent use of abdominal imaging using CT scan, kidney cancer is often found before it produces any symptoms and therefore is less likely to have spread to other organs.
Kidney cancer includes renal cell carcinoma (cancer that forms in the lining of very small tubes in the kidney that filter the blood and remove waste products) and renal pelvis carcinoma (termed transitional cell carcinoma of the original pelvis). This cancer forms in the center of the kidney, where urine drains. Wilms tumor is a type of kdiney cancer that usually develops in children under the age of 5.
Common symptoms of kidney cancer include:
Blood in the urine (making the urine slightly rusty to deep red). However, the bleeding may be microscopic, which means it is not visible to the naked eye but can be found on a specific urine test.
Pain in the side that does not go away
A lump or mass in the side of the abdomen
Weight loss
Fever
Feeling very tired or having a general feeling of poor health
In some cases, kidney cancer may become quite large without causing any pain or problems. Because the kidneys are deep in the body, small tumors cannot be seen or felt during a physical exam. They are usually found by abdominal CT scan or ultrasound.
Kidney Cancer Resources Diagnostic Tools
Treatment
Sentara Cancer NetworkThis information for this section was compiled with help from the following Web sites. Please see them for more information on kidney cancer. American Cancer Society National Cancer Institute Kidney Cancer Association