What are the early symptoms of kidney cancer?

Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
Updated on December 16, 2024
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Kidney cancer is a common malignant tumor in the urinary system. Many patients with early-stage kidney cancer do not show any symptoms clinically and are incidentally discovered during medical examinations. Many patients in the early stages may also present with painless hematuria, sometimes as gross hematuria and sometimes as microscopic hematuria. Some patients may experience pain in the kidney area due to blood clots formed after hematuria, mainly presenting as intermittent episodes of mild back pain. Additionally, some patients in the early stages might show symptoms of paraneoplastic syndrome, such as hypertension and fever, but these clinical symptoms generally occur at a very low frequency. When patients present with obvious clinical symptoms, it often indicates that the kidney cancer has metastasized, leading to a clinical presentation of mid-to-late stage kidney cancer.

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Ultrasound manifestation of renal cancer

Kidney cancer is the most common type of kidney malignancy. Pathologically, it is mainly divided into clear cell renal cell carcinoma, chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, papillary renal carcinoma, and collecting duct carcinoma, with clear cell renal cell carcinoma being the most common. Ultrasonographically, it usually appears as round or oval masses, varying in size but generally around 2-4 cm, exhibiting low to medium echo patterns. If the tumor is larger, greater than 5 cm, it may show changes in mixed echo patterns due to possible internal bleeding or cystic changes when the tumor is large. When kidney cancer is suspected on ultrasound, it is best to further proceed with enhanced MRI or enhanced CT scanning.

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What are the early symptoms of kidney cancer?

Many cases of kidney cancer often have no obvious symptoms in their early stages and are not discovered until the tumor progresses. After the tumor progresses, symptoms may include hematuria, which can be intermittent, painless, and visible throughout its course. There may also be back pain and a lump in the abdomen, which is evident in about twenty percent of cases. Slim individuals might find it easier to detect such lumps. There are also some extrarenal manifestations including fever, weight loss, accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, anemia, hypertension, polycythemia, hypercalcemia, liver function impairment, etc. These symptoms might appear in the early stages. However, symptoms can vary from person to person.

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What are the characteristics of hematuria in renal cancer?

What we commonly refer to as kidney cancer actually includes two aspects. One is renal cell carcinoma, and the other is renal pelvis cancer or ureteral cancer. The characteristics of hematuria are different in these two types. Renal cell carcinoma, simply understood, grows inside the kidney and is not connected with urine. Only when the kidney tumor grows large enough to breach the kidney or renal pelvis will the tumor rupture and bleed, causing hematuria. This generally occurs in the middle to late stages of kidney cancer. On the other hand, renal pelvis cancer or ureteral cancer exhibits intermittent hematuria in the early stages without significant symptoms, but as it progresses to the middle and late stages, symptoms like kidney hydronephrosis and hematuria slowly appear. When diagnosing these conditions, any occurrence of hematuria must be investigated to determine the cause. Initial screening can be done using urinary system ultrasound, urinalysis, or routine urine tests. More precise methods include enhanced CT or MRI of the urinary system, which facilitate easier diagnosis.

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Is kidney cancer prone to metastasis?

Kidney cancer in its early stages generally does not metastasize. If it does metastasize, it usually follows several paths: one is hematogenous or lymphatic spread, followed by local diffusion, and then the tumor invades surrounding fat or blood vessels, which is local diffusion. It is also important to note that there is a pseudo-capsule around the kidney cancer that prevents the spread of cancer cells. Metastasis is not likely when the tumor is small, but as the tumor size increases or in some special types of tumor cells, metastasis may occur.

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Can kidney cancer patients eat sea cucumber?

Patients with kidney cancer can eat sea cucumber, but the amount should be determined based on individual conditions. It is recommended not to exceed 30-50 grams per day to avoid side effects. Consuming sea cucumber in moderation is advisable, as excessive seafood and high protein can increase the burden on the kidneys. Therefore, the specific amount should be determined according to the patient's kidney function, creatinine, and urea nitrogen levels.