Kidney Cancer Signs Younger Adults Should Not Ignore

March is Kidney Cancer Awareness Month, a time to spotlight prevention, early detection, and emerging research in kidney cancer care.

To mark this occasion, CURE sat down with Dr. Eric Singer, chief of the Division of Urologic Oncology at the OSUCCC – James, director of the Urologic Oncology Fellowship Program, co-director of the Genitourinary Disease-Specific Research Group, and professor in both the Department of Urology and the Division of Bioethics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

In the interview, Singer discusses the early symptoms of kidney cancer and what warning signs younger adults pay attention to. Additionally, he discusses what lifestyle, environmental and genetic factors may be contributing to the rise in kidney cancer rates for younger populations.

You can read more of CURE’s conversation with Singer in this article!

Early kidney cancer often has few symptoms. What warning signs should younger adults pay attention to, and when should they speak with a doctor?

Kidney cancer is challenging because we don't have screening for it. For men and prostate cancer, there's a PSA test; for women, there are mammograms; for everyone, there are colonoscopies. We don't have a standard screening for kidney cancer yet, though many people are working on it.

The "classic triad" of symptoms we used to see was flank pain, a large abdominal mass, and blood in the urine. Fortunately, that's less common now because our imaging is better and people get scans for many reasons. Again, we often find kidney tumors when they're small and found incidentally. However, if you're having a lot of flank pain, blood in your urine, or unintentional weight loss, you should see your primary care doctor.

Certainly, if you have blood in the urine, a urologist should be involved. Fortunately, many people who have blood in the urine do not have kidney cancer; it may be a benign cause, but it is certainly something we check for.

We are continuing to see an increase in the incidence of kidney cancer in younger patients over time. Maintaining kidney health involves basic lifestyle choices: avoiding obesity, not smoking, and being mindful of environmental risk factors like certain chemicals. Knowing your family history is also vital.

Many of us haven't really asked our parents or grandparents about their medical history, but that information can be incredibly helpful in understanding familial risk.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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