By: Prof. Dr. Seyed Saeid Zamanieh Shahri, MD  and  Prof. Dr. Sonia Sayyedalhosseini, MD

Continued symptoms of kidney cancer:

As in the first part of kidney cancer, the frequent symptoms of this disease such as anemia, hematuria, flank pain, flank mass, unintentional weight loss, fatigue, cachexia and loss of appetite were explained, now we will explain the continuation of the symptoms: 9) Fever: Fever (temperature over 38 degrees Celsius) can be a common symptom of kidney cancer, which occurs in about a third of people at the time of diagnosis. The fever may be persistent, or alternatively, it may come and go, but without obvious signs of infection. An unexplained fever (fever of unknown origin) always requires a visit to your doctor.

۱۰) High blood pressure: Kidneys produce hormones that play an important role in regulating blood pressure. Persistent high blood pressure may be a sign of kidney cancer. In turn, persistent high blood pressure can lead to further kidney damage.

۱۱) Swelling in ankles and feet: Kidneys also play a very important role in regulating the balance of fluids (and electrolytes) in the body. Kidney cancer (and other kidney diseases) can disrupt this regulation and lead to fluid retention, which is seen as swelling in the feet, ankles, and legs.

۱۲) Hot flashes:  Hot flashes or areas where the skin becomes red, along with a feeling of heat (or even burning) in the face, neck or limbs, is a potential symptom, that is, it can be related to a reason other than kidney cancer, including menopause.

۱۳) Symptoms of kidney cancer metastasis:

It is very important to mention the possible symptoms of kidney cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (metastasized). A percentage of people have metastases when they are diagnosed. Kidney cancer often spreads to the lungs, bones, and brain and can cause the following symptoms:

– Coughing:  Continuous coughing can be one of the most common symptoms of lung disease. Other symptoms that may occur include wheezing, coughing up blood, or pain in the chest, shoulder, or back.

– Shortness of breath: Shortness of breath could be as a sign of cancer spread in the lungs and also due to anemia.

– Bone pain:  Bones are the second most common site of kidney cancer metastases (after the lungs). Bone pain from metastases can be severe and is usually not associated with any type of injury. Sometimes the first sign of cancer is a fracture in a weak bone.

۱۴) Rare symptoms of kidney cancer:

some unusual symptoms that can be related to kidney cancer are as follow:

– Varicocele: A varicocele is an enlarged vein (varicose) that occurs in the testicle. Symptoms may include swelling, pain, and shrinking of the testicles. It often occurs on the right side, and varicocele related to kidney cancer does not go away when a person lies down.

-Paraneoplastic symptoms:

Paraneoplastic syndromes are a set of symptoms that are caused by the production of hormones or other substances by tumor cells. In kidney cancer, these syndromes may lead to high levels of calcium in the blood with symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, weakness and confusion, an increase in the number of red blood cells (erythrocytosis) and an increase in liver function tests even when the tumor has spread to the liver.

Complications of kidney cancer: There are a number of complications from kidney cancer. Sometimes these may occur even before diagnosis, but more often they are seen during tumor progression. They may be caused by the tumor itself, by tumor treatment, or by metastatic disease. Keep in mind that most people do not experience all of these complications, and many people experience none of these. They are discussed here so that people can be empowered in their health care and be aware of potential concerns. These symptoms include:

۱) Hematuria:

Clearly bloody urine is less likely to be the first symptom of kidney cancer. It can be very frightening to suddenly see large amounts of blood in your urine, but prompt treatment can control the bleeding. 

To be continued…