Kidney cancer, which is also called renal cancer or renal cell carcinoma, happens when abnormal cells grow in one or both of your kidneys. These cells can form a mass that’s called a tumor. The tumor can keep the kidneys from working correctly.
You normally have two kidneys, each about the size of a fist. Your kidneys remove water, salt and waste from your body and convert them into urine, which collects in your bladder so you can get rid of it when you urinate. Your kidneys also help regulate your blood pressure and help your body make red blood cells.
If kidney cancer isn’t treated, it can keep your kidney from working properly. It can also spread to other parts of the body and possibly cause serious complications.
Kidney cancer is among the top 10 most common cancers in both men and women. When kidney cancer is detected early, treatment may be more successful. But it can be hard to spot, since it doesn’t cause symptoms in the early stages. Knowing your risk factors and having regular checkups can make it more likely you’ll find kidney cancer early.
Tobacco use is the biggest risk factor for kidney cancer because the chemicals in it pass through your blood and into your kidneys. Being over 50, and being male can also increase your risk, and race and family history also play a part. Plus, there are genetic mutations that you are born with or that develop during your lifetime that can cause kidney cancer.
Learn more about kidney cancer causes, risk factors and prevention.
In the early stages, you may not have any symptoms of kidney cancer. Symptoms may include blood in your urine, lower back or flank pain, a lump on the side or lower back, unexplained fever, unintentional weight loss, fatigue or poor health and swollen ankles and legs.
Learn more about kidney cancer signs and symptoms.
To diagnose kidney cancer, your provider may consider your medical history, perform a physical exam and recommend tests such as ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, blood tests, urine tests and possibly biopsy.
Learn more about kidney cancer testing and diagnosis.
Depending on the type and stage of kidney cancer, your care team may recommend active surveillance, surgery to remove some or all of the kidney, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy or procedures that destroy or block blood flow to the tumor.
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