Clinical manifestations of renal cancer

Written by Li Yuan Wei
Urology
Updated on February 25, 2025
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The clinical manifestations and staging of kidney cancer are related to the most common early-stage kidney cancer, late-stage kidney cancer, or metastatic kidney cancer. Generally, early-stage kidney cancer exhibits few clinical symptoms and is often detected during physical examinations, through ultrasonography of the urinary tract, or kidney ultrasonography, where tumors are the most commonly found. Additionally, later stages of kidney cancer often present as swelling pain in the waist area or occasional hematuria. More serious conditions involve feeling a mass in the upper abdomen upon palpation, which is a clinical manifestation. Nowadays, with heightened awareness for health checks, such conditions are generally discovered through these examinations. When major clinical manifestations like hematuria and abdominal masses occur, it indicates that the kidney tumor has already progressed to the mid or late stages.

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Written by Li Yuan Wei
Urology
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Clinical manifestations of renal cancer

The clinical manifestations and staging of kidney cancer are related to the most common early-stage kidney cancer, late-stage kidney cancer, or metastatic kidney cancer. Generally, early-stage kidney cancer exhibits few clinical symptoms and is often detected during physical examinations, through ultrasonography of the urinary tract, or kidney ultrasonography, where tumors are the most commonly found. Additionally, later stages of kidney cancer often present as swelling pain in the waist area or occasional hematuria. More serious conditions involve feeling a mass in the upper abdomen upon palpation, which is a clinical manifestation. Nowadays, with heightened awareness for health checks, such conditions are generally discovered through these examinations. When major clinical manifestations like hematuria and abdominal masses occur, it indicates that the kidney tumor has already progressed to the mid or late stages.

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Written by Wang Shuai
Urology
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Can kidney cancer be diagnosed with a CT scan?

If you have kidney cancer, preoperative examinations, including ultrasound, CT, and even MRI, cannot definitively diagnose the cancer. These preoperative tests primarily provide diagnostic references. To confirm a diagnosis of kidney cancer, a biopsy via renal tumor puncture must be performed, or after surgery, the specimen should be sent for pathological examination to be definitively diagnosed based on the pathology results. This is because the pathology results clarify the type of tumor cells and their grading, making the pathological examination the final and most accurate diagnostic result.

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Written by Xu Chun Hua
Urology
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How is kidney cancer diagnosed?

Hematuria, pain, and lumps are the main symptoms of kidney cancer. If one or two of these symptoms appear, the possibility of kidney cancer should be considered. About half of the patients are found to have incidental kidney cancers, also known as asymptomatic kidney cancers, during physical examinations through incidental findings on ultrasound or CT scans. Some may show early symptoms of metastasis making the diagnosis quite challenging. The preoperative diagnosis of kidney cancer relies on the results of medical imaging examinations such as ultrasound, X-rays, and CT scans. CT scans have a very high confirmation rate for kidney cancer and are currently the most reliable imaging method for diagnosing kidney cancer.

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Written by Wang Jian
Urology
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Will a stage 1 kidney cancer recurrence occur after nephrectomy?

Stage I kidney cancer generally belongs to early-stage kidney cancer, which usually presents no symptoms and is most often discovered during physical examinations. This is the case for more than 50%-60% of kidney cancers. The examination for kidney cancer also requires a CT scan of the kidney and an enhanced CT scan to confirm the diagnosis. If it is stage I, the cure rate through surgical removal is very high. Surgical operation is the first choice for treating kidney cancer and is recognized as a means to cure kidney cancer. Early-stage kidney cancer can be treated with laparoscopic or traditional open surgery, which involves a radical removal of the kidney. For patients with stage I kidney cancer, the five-year survival rate can reach about 92%. Post-surgery, regular follow-up visits are necessary to check for recurrence, metastasis, and new tumors. After surgery, stage I kidney cancer patients should have follow-up visits every three to six months for the first three years and annually thereafter. Stage I kidney cancer has a chance of being completely cured but also the possibility of recurrence, so regular follow-ups are essential.

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Written by Zeng Zhong
Urology
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Is the recurrence rate of kidney cancer high?

Kidney cancer is associated with a certain recurrence rate. If a patient undergoes partial nephrectomy for kidney cancer, it is crucial to schedule regular follow-ups at the hospital to monitor the renal pelvis and check if the cancer has recurred. If the patient has undergone radical nephrectomy, where the affected kidney is entirely removed, it is important to regularly observe the surrounding tissues and distant organ tissues for any signs of tumor metastasis.