Symptoms of kidney cancer can include the following:
- Blood in urine (haematuria).
- High blood pressure (hypertension).
- Weight loss and/or loss of appetite and/or fatigue (cachexia)
- Pain on the sides and/or in the lower back.
- Fever.
- Swelling (Oedema), especially of the legs and feet.
- Blood tests may show an elevated platelet count, an abnormal red blood cell count or elevated calcium levels.
- Some people experience night sweats.
- Sometimes the cancer may be palpable, i.e. the mass can be felt with your fingers.
Since all of these symptoms may be related to other conditions or illnesses, it is not possible to be sure you have kidney cancer by only examining the symptoms.
It is not unusual for people with BHD syndrome to be completely unaware that they have kidney cancer at all. You may have no symptoms. This is especially true of people whose cancer is diagnosed in the early stages. Kidney cancer can sometimes lead to unusual blood and urine test results, but it is also possible to have tests in the normal ranges and still have kidney cancer. It is necessary that you inform your doctor if you have BHD syndrome, so that you will be regularly scanned for cancer. Scans will show a cancer even if you have no symptoms and your blood tests are in the normal ranges.
