ALMOST half of all kidney cancer cases are caught too late – as people have no idea they have the disease.
Tragically, around 42 per cent of the tumours have then reached stage 3 or 4 by the time they are diagnosed.
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All Brits should learn the signs and symptoms of kidney cancer – which include fatigue, pain in the side and bloody urine – Kidney Cancer UK and Kidney Cancer Scotland have urged.
As part of a nationwide survey, 75 per cent of kidney cancer patients said they had at least one symptom.
But nearly 50 per cent also said their cancer was found as part of an investigation for a different issue.
It is thought misdiagnosis happens in a quarter of cases, leading to late diagnosis which then makes the prognosis worse.
Nick Turkentine, CEO of Kidney Cancer UK, concluded: “As the UK’s leading kidney cancer charity, our focus is on reducing the harm caused by kidney cancer for patients, their families, and reducing its prevalence and impact for future generations.
“We hope that our latest patient report findings will shine a light on the importance of early diagnosis, to both patients and medical professionals, so that survival rates improve.
“Education around the disease is one of the best methods of prevention, so we are urging people to look out for the symptoms associated with kidney cancer, visit their GP if they show any concerning signs.
“For anyone who is unfamiliar with the symptoms that can be associated with kidney cancer, they are blood in urine (no matter how little), long-term pain in the back or flank or fatigue.”
Kidney cancer, also called renal cancer, is one of the most common in the UK.
Generally it affects people in their 60s or 70s, and is quite rare in the under-50s.
If it’s found early it can often be cured, but this may not be possible if it’s diagnosed after it has spread beyond the kidneys.
Symptoms include:
- a persistent pain in your lower back or side, just below your ribs
- a lump or swelling in your side (although kidney cancer is often too small to feel)
- blood in your pee
- extreme tiredness
- loss of appetite and unintentional weight loss
- high blood pressure
- high temperature
- night sweats
- swollen neck glands
- bone pain
- coughing up blood
- in men – swelling in the testicles
The exact cause of kidney cancer is unknown, but some things can increase your chances of getting it, including:
- obesity – a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more (use the healthy weight calculator to find your BMI)
- smoking – the more you smoke, the greater the risk
- high blood pressure (hypertension)
- family history – you’re more likely to get kidney cancer if you have a close relative with it
- some inherited genetic conditions
- long-term dialysis – a treatment for chronic kidney disease where a machine does some of the jobs of the kidneys