Although you may not think about it or hear about it much — especially when compared with other types of cancer, such as breast or prostate — kidney cancer is among the top 10 most common cancers in the United States for both women and men. In 2024, about 5,000 women and nearly 10,000 men died from kidney cancer.
As more and more kidney cancer cases are found and reported, fewer people than ever die from the disease. Early detection leads to early treatment, often leading to a cure. In fact, if your urologist finds kidney cancer before the cancer has spread (i.e., metastasized) to other organs, the 5-year survival rate is 93%.
As part of March’s Kidney Awareness Month, expert urologist Alex Lesani, MD, and our team want you to pay attention to your kidney health. At our Las Vegas, Nevada, office, we help ensure that your kidneys are healthy or, if not, diagnose and devise treatment at the earliest stages possible for an optimal outcome.
Do you have signs of possible kidney cancer? If your symptoms match those on this list, call us for an appointment as soon as possible to get a diagnosis and treatment.
When you notice a streak of red or pink in your urine you feel unsettled. Unless you’ve eaten beets in the last 48 hours, it could also be a sign of kidney cancer.
Blood in the urine doesn’t always mean you have kidney cancer, of course, but it should never be ignored. Blood in the urine is not normal. You may have a bladder infection, kidney stone, or other condition that needs a diagnosis and appropriate treatment to keep you and your kidneys safe.
If you suddenly have lower back pain on one side of your back that’s not due to an injury; the pain may be coming from a kidney. Although back pain is common, if it persists, you need a doctor’s diagnosis to get to the root of why you’re so uncomfortable.
Another sign that you may have kidney cancer is a lump or bump on your lower back. That bump could be a kidney tumor that should be investigated and removed.
Excessive fatigue with no known cause may indicate that your body is struggling. If you find it hard to drag yourself through your days, you deserve to know why to get back to your normal, energetic self.
Nonspecific fatigue can have many different causes. One of them could be kidney cancer.
You may also develop a fever, even though you don’t have an infection that you know about. A fever is a sign that your body is fighting off an invader. It could be a pathogen, such as bacteria or viruses, or it could be cancer.
Unexplained weight loss is often a sign of cancer. So is a downshift in your appetite.
Your body needs plenty of nourishing, fresh foods to maintain its vitality and health. If you’re suddenly eating less and losing weight, you could also lose important muscle tissue needed to stay healthy.
Cutting back on nutrition could also lead to low iron levels that cause anemia — another possible sign of kidney cancer. Find out if your unexplained weight loss is due to kidney cancer by scheduling a consultation.
Don’t take risks or second-guess yourself about your kidney health. If you experience early warning signs of kidney cancer, find out what’s going on in your body and get the help you need by calling our team for a kidney evaluation today at 702-470-2579 or booking your appointment online.
