Kidney Cancer: Symptoms and Signs

Approved by the Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 09/2022

ON THIS PAGE: You will find out more about the changes and medical problems that can be a sign of kidney cancer. Use the menu to see other pages.

What are the symptoms and signs of kidney cancer?

Often, kidney cancer is found when a person has an imaging test, such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or computed tomography (CT) scan (see Diagnosis), for another reason. In its earliest stages, kidney cancer causes no pain. Therefore, symptoms of the disease usually appear when the tumor grows large and begins to affect nearby organs.

People with kidney cancer may experience one or more of the following symptoms or signs. Symptoms are changes that you can feel in your body. Signs are changes in something measured, like taking your blood pressure or doing a lab test. Together, symptoms and signs can help describe a medical problem. Sometimes, people with kidney cancer do not have any of the symptoms and signs described below. In other cases, the cause of a symptom or sign may be a medical condition that is not cancer.

  • Blood in the urine

  • Pain or pressure in the side or back

  • A mass or lump in the side or back

  • Swelling of the ankles and legs

  • High blood pressure

  • Anemia, which is a low red blood cell count

  • Fatigue

  • Loss of appetite

  • Unexplained weight loss

  • Fever that keeps coming back and is not from a cold, flu, or other infection

  • In the testicles, a rapid development of a cluster of enlarged veins, known as a varicocele, around a testicle, particularly the right testicle, may indicate that a large kidney tumor may be present

If you are concerned about any changes you experience, please talk with your doctor. Your doctor will try to understand what is causing your symptom(s). They may do an exam and order tests to understand the cause of the problem, which is called a diagnosis.

If cancer is diagnosed, relieving symptoms remains an important part of cancer care and treatment. Managing symptoms may also be called "palliative and supportive care," which is not the same as hospice care given at the end of life. You can receive palliative and supportive care at any time during cancer treatment. This type of care focuses on managing symptoms and supporting people who face serious illnesses, such as cancer. You can receive palliative and supportive care at any time during cancer treatment. Learn more in this guide’s section on Coping with Treatment.

Be sure to talk with your health care team about the symptoms you experience, including any new symptoms or a change in symptoms.

The next section in this guide is Diagnosis. It explains what tests may be needed to learn more about the cause of the symptoms. Use the menu to choose a different section to read in this guide.