Kidney Cancer: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment Guide

Medically reviewed by Dr. Baraa Alnahhal, MD · Last reviewed: September 2026

Source currency note: This article is based on medical pages published August 17, 2024. Medical guidance evolves — always confirm current recommendations with a healthcare provider.

TL;DR

Kidney cancer is a growth of abnormal cells that starts in the kidneys — the two fist-sized organs behind your abdominal organs that filter waste into urine. It rarely causes symptoms early, which is why it is often discovered by chance on imaging done for other reasons. About nine out of ten cases are the renal cell carcinoma type. Risk rises with older age, smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, certain inherited conditions, and family history. Staging (1 through 4) determines treatment, and surgery to remove part or all of the kidney is usually the first step. Because one healthy kidney is generally enough, most people maintain normal function and quality of life after treatment. With today's options, kidney cancer has never been more treatable.

Quick Answer: What You Need to Know About Kidney Cancer

What is kidney cancer? A growth of cells that starts in the kidneys, most often the renal cell carcinoma type (about 9 of 10 adult cases).

What are the early warning signs? Often none — blood in the urine (pink, red, or cola colored), persistent side or back pain, appetite loss, weight loss, fatigue, fever, or night sweats develop over time.

What causes it? DNA changes in kidney cells that make them multiply quickly and avoid dying at their set time, forming a tumor.

Who is at highest risk? Men (about twice as common as in women), people age 60+, smokers, people with obesity or high blood pressure, and those with certain inherited conditions or a family history.

How is it diagnosed? Blood and urine tests, imaging (ultrasound, CT, or MRI), and sometimes a needle biopsy; staging runs from 1 to 4.

How is it treated? Usually surgery first — often kidney-sparing — plus ablation, radiation, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or rarely chemotherapy, depending on stage.

Can you live well after treatment? Yes. Most people keep normal kidney function with one kidney, need no special diet, and require no major lifestyle change.

What Is Kidney Cancer?

Kidney cancer is a growth of cells that starts in the kidneys. The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They sit behind the abdominal organs, with one kidney on each side of the spine.

Their job is to filter excess water, salt, and waste products from your body and turn those substances into urine. Like other organs, kidneys are made up of cellular tissue — and sometimes those cells behave irregularly.

Kidney cancer happens when cells in the kidney develop changes in their DNA. The changes tell the cancer cells to make many more cells quickly, and cancer cells can keep living when healthy cells would die.

In adults, renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer. About nine out of 10 kidney cancers are this type. Other, less common types can occur. Young children are more likely to develop a different kind of kidney cancer called Wilms tumor.

Diagnoses are rising — but that is not all bad news

The number of kidney cancers diagnosed each year appears to be increasing. One reason may simply be better detection: imaging techniques such as CT scans are used more often, leading to incidental discovery of more kidney cancers.

The encouraging result is that kidney cancer is often found when it is small and confined to the kidney — the stage where treatment works best. With improvements in technology and treatment, kidney cancer has never been more treatable than it is today. The average age at diagnosis is 64, and it is about twice as common in men as in women.

Key Fact	Detail
What it is	A growth of cells that starts in the kidneys
Most common type in adults	Renal cell carcinoma — about 9 in 10 cases
Childhood type	Wilms tumor (young children)
Average age at diagnosis	64
Sex difference	About twice as common in men as women
Typical discovery	Small and confined to the kidney, often by chance on imaging

Kidney Cancer Symptoms: What Are the Warning Signs?

Kidney cancer doesn't usually cause symptoms at first. In fact, the condition is often hard to diagnose precisely because it lacks clear signs in its early stages.

Over time, though, signs and symptoms may develop. Knowing them helps you catch changes worth reporting to a doctor.

Symptom	What You May Notice
Blood in the urine	Urine may appear pink, red, or cola colored
Pain in the side or back	Pain that doesn't go away
Loss of appetite	Reduced desire to eat
Unexplained weight loss	Losing weight without trying
Tiredness	Persistent fatigue that rest doesn't fix
Fever	Fever without an obvious infection
Night sweats	Sweating during sleep

No single symptom proves kidney cancer, and each can have benign explanations. What matters is a pattern — especially blood in the urine combined with persistent flank or back pain.

When should you see a doctor?

Make an appointment with a doctor or healthcare professional if you have any symptoms that worry you. Persistent blood in the urine (even if painless) deserves evaluation — it is the symptom most strongly associated with kidney cancer.

What Causes Kidney Cancer?

It's not clear what causes most kidney cancers. What medicine can explain is the mechanism.

Every cell's DNA holds the instructions that tell the cell what to do. In healthy cells, DNA gives instructions to grow and multiply at a set rate, and tells the cells to die at a set time. In cancer cells, DNA changes give different instructions: make many more cells quickly, and keep living when healthy cells would die. This causes too many cells.

The cancer cells form a mass called a tumor. The tumor can grow to invade and destroy healthy tissue. Over time, cancer cells can break away and spread to other parts of the body. When cancer spreads, it's called metastatic cancer.

Kidney Cancer Risk Factors: Who Is Most at Risk?

Certain factors increase the chance of developing kidney cancer. Risk does not mean certainty — many people with these factors never develop the disease, and many who do have no identifiable risk factor at all.

Risk Factor	Why It Matters
Older age	Risk increases with age; average diagnosis age is 64
Smoking tobacco	Smokers have greater risk than non-smokers; risk decreases after quitting
Obesity	Higher risk compared with a healthy weight
High blood pressure (hypertension)	Increases the risk of kidney cancer
Certain inherited conditions	von Hippel-Lindau disease, Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome, tuberous sclerosis complex, hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma, and familial renal cancer
Family history	Higher risk if a parent or sibling has had the disease
Sex	About twice as common in men as in women
Long-term dialysis	Long-term dialysis treatment is associated with increased risk

The inherited conditions are rare, but if kidney cancer runs strongly in your family, mention it to your doctor — genetic evaluation may be appropriate.

Can kidney cancer be prevented?

There's no sure way to prevent kidney cancer. However, you may reduce your risk by managing the factors you can control.

Prevention Step	Specific Guidance
Stop smoking	Use nicotine replacement, medicines, or support groups; if you've never smoked, don't start
Maintain a healthy weight	Eat fewer calories and slowly increase exercise; ask your healthcare professional for guidance
Control high blood pressure	Exercise, weight loss, and diet changes help; some people need medicines
Exercise regularly	At least 30 minutes on most days of the week
Eat more fruits and vegetables	Food sources of vitamins and nutrients are best
Limit alcohol	If you drink, up to one drink a day for women, two for men
Avoid megadose vitamins	Skip large doses of vitamins in pill form — they may be harmful

An important and often comforting point from clinicians: in most cases, kidney cancer is completely unrelated to how you've lived your life, and there's nothing you could have done differently to prevent it.

How Is Kidney Cancer Diagnosed?

Kidney cancer diagnosis often begins with a physical exam and a discussion of your health history. Blood and urine tests, imaging tests, and sometimes a tissue sample follow.

Diagnostic Step	What It Checks
Blood tests	May check the number of red blood cells and give clues about what's causing symptoms
Urine tests	Look for substances in the urine such as blood, bacteria, and cancer cells
Imaging tests	Ultrasound, CT, or MRI show the location and size of a kidney cancer
Biopsy	A thin needle removes a tissue sample from the kidney or a nearby area (such as lymph nodes) for lab testing; may not be needed if imaging shows enough information

Once diagnosed, the next step is staging — determining the cancer's extent so the healthcare team can build a treatment plan. Staging tests may include additional CT and MRI scans. Stages range from 1 to 4, with Roman numerals. Lower numbers mean the cancer is confined to the kidney; higher numbers mean it is advanced and may have spread.

Stage	What It Means
Stage 1	Tumor is 2 3/4 inches (7 centimeters) or smaller, only in one kidney, and completely contained within it
Stage 2	Tumor is larger than 7 centimeters but still confined to the kidney
Stage 3	Tumor extends to the surrounding tissue, or cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes
Stage 4	Tumor has grown beyond the kidney, or spread to other parts of the body such as the bones, liver, or lungs

Prognosis depends on the stage at discovery. For early-stage disease, the prognosis is excellent, and the expectation is typically that the person will be cured. For later-stage disease, many new treatments exist — and even when cure isn't possible, the expectation is that life will be significantly extended.

Kidney Cancer Treatment Options

Kidney cancer treatment sometimes begins with surgery to remove the cancer. For cancers confined to the kidney, surgery may be the only treatment needed. Sometimes medicine is given after surgery to lower the risk that the cancer will come back. If the cancer has spread beyond the kidney, surgery might not be possible, and other treatments take the lead.

Your healthcare team considers many factors when creating a plan: your overall health, the type and stage of your cancer, and your preferences.

Surgery: the first line of treatment

For most cancers confined to the kidney, surgery is the first treatment. The goal is to remove the cancer while preserving kidney function when possible.

Surgical Option	What Happens	When It's Used
Complete (radical) nephrectomy	The entire kidney is removed along with a border of healthy tissue around it; nearby lymph nodes, the adrenal gland, or other structures may also be removed	Larger tumors or cancers not suited to kidney-sparing surgery
Partial nephrectomy (kidney-sparing / nephron-sparing surgery)	The cancer and a small margin of healthy tissue are removed, leaving as much healthy kidney tissue as possible	Small kidney cancers; may be an option if you have only one kidney

Both procedures can be done through a single large incision (open surgery) or through a series of small incisions (laparoscopic or robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery).

Kidney-sparing surgery is generally preferred over complete nephrectomy when possible. It preserves kidney function and may reduce the risk of later complications, such as kidney disease and the need for dialysis.

A reassuring fact: most people have a second kidney and enough kidney function with just one that removal is not a problem. In the majority of circumstances, no special diet is required afterward, and people can eat and drink as they did previously.

Non-surgical tumor destruction

For small kidney cancers in certain situations, two ablation techniques can destroy the tumor without removing the kidney. These are especially useful for people whose other health concerns make surgery risky.

Ablation Method	How It Works
Cryoablation	A hollow needle is guided through the skin into the kidney cancer using ultrasound; cold gas inside the needle freezes and kills the cancer cells
Radiofrequency ablation	A probe is guided into the kidney cancer using imaging; an electrical current heats up, effectively disintegrating, the cancer cells

Systemic and other treatments

Treatment	How It Works	When It's Used
Radiation therapy	Powerful energy beams (X-rays, protons, or other sources) directed at precise points on the body	To kill kidney cancer cells in the kidney; to control or reduce symptoms of cancer spread to bones or the brain
Targeted therapy	Medicines that attack specific chemicals in cancer cells, blocking them so the cells die	Depending on cancer characteristics
Immunotherapy	Medicines that help the immune system find and kill cancer cells, which normally survive by hiding from immune detection	After surgery to kill remaining cells; when cancer is very large or has spread
Chemotherapy	Strong medicines, usually given through a vein	Rarely — kidney cancers are usually resistant; may be used for certain rare types
Palliative care	A specialized healthcare team that relieves pain and other symptoms of serious illness	Can run alongside surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or radiation to improve quality of life

Are clinical trials an option?

New treatments, interventions, and tests are continually being studied as a means to prevent, detect, treat, or manage kidney cancer. Ask your healthcare team whether a clinical trial is appropriate for your situation.

Lifestyle and Home Support After Kidney Cancer Treatment

Since most patients retain relatively normal kidney function after treatment, the majority don't have to change their lifestyle. The most important guidance is maintaining a healthy lifestyle overall: good sleep, regular exercise, and a healthy balanced diet. If you do need to change something, your doctor will tell you.

Integrative treatments can't cure kidney cancer. But some can be combined with your healthcare team's care to help you cope with the distress and side effects of cancer treatment — including difficulty sleeping and constant worrying about cancer.

Integrative Option	What It Offers
Acupuncture	Pain and symptom relief for some
Art therapy	Emotional expression and processing
Exercise	Mood, energy, and recovery support
Massage therapy	Physical comfort and relaxation
Meditation	Stress reduction
Music therapy	Calming and distraction
Relaxation exercises	Anxiety management
Spirituality	Meaning and comfort

If distress is significant, discuss it with your healthcare team. Specialists can help you find ways of coping, and in some cases medicines may help.

Coping With a Kidney Cancer Diagnosis

Learning you've been diagnosed with cancer is never easy. With time, you'll find what helps you cope with the uncertainty and worry. Until then, three approaches help.

Learn enough to make decisions. Ask your healthcare team about your cancer, including test results, treatment options, and — if you like — prognosis. As you learn more, you may become more confident in making treatment decisions. Being informed makes all the difference.

Keep friends and family close. Strong relationships provide practical support (helping at home during hospital stays) and emotional support when cancer feels overwhelming.

Find someone to talk with. That may be a friend or family member. A counselor, medical social worker, clergy member, or cancer support group can also help. Ask your healthcare team about support groups in your area, or explore resources from the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society. Don't be afraid to ask for help — it's normal to feel overwhelmed, depressed, or anxious. Sometimes talking to a mental health specialist makes all the difference.

Preparing for Your Appointment

If your healthcare professional suspects kidney cancer, you may be referred to a urologist (a doctor who specializes in urinary tract diseases and conditions). If cancer is confirmed, you may also be referred to an oncologist (a doctor who specializes in treating cancer).

Because appointments can be brief, it's a good idea to be prepared.

Prepare Ahead	What to Do
Pre-appointment restrictions	Ask if you need to do anything in advance, such as restricting your diet
Write down symptoms	Include any that may not seem related to the reason for the appointment
Write down personal information	Major stresses or recent life changes
List medicines	All medicines, vitamins, and supplements with doses
Bring support	A family member or friend may remember information you miss
Rank your questions	List questions from most to least important in case time runs out

Questions to ask your team: Do I have kidney cancer? What is the stage? Has it spread? Will I need more tests? What are the treatment options? How much does each treatment increase my chances of a cure or prolong my life? What are the potential side effects? How will each treatment affect my daily life? Is there one treatment option you believe is best? What would you recommend to a friend or family member in my situation? Should I see a specialist? What brochures or websites do you recommend? What determines whether I should plan for a follow-up visit?

Questions to expect from your doctor: When did symptoms begin? Have they been continuous or occasional? How severe are they? What seems to improve them? What worsens them?

Conclusion: There Is a Road Forward

Kidney cancer is serious, but it is also one of the most treatable cancers in modern medicine — especially because it is so often caught small and confined to the kidney. Surgery, including kidney-sparing procedures, is usually the first step, and most people keep normal kidney function and quality of life with just one kidney. For advanced disease, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation, and ablation techniques offer real options to extend and protect life.

If you've noticed blood in your urine, persistent side or back pain, unexplained weight loss, or any symptom that worries you, talk to a doctor. Early evaluation makes the difference between stage 1 and stage 4 — and between an expectation of cure and a harder road.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is kidney cancer curable?

For early-stage kidney cancer, the prognosis is excellent, and the expectation is typically that the person will be cured. For later-stage disease, treatments may not cure it but are expected to significantly extend life.

Can kidney cancer be found before symptoms appear?

Yes. Kidney cancer is often discovered by chance on imaging tests done for other reasons, usually when it is still small and confined to the kidney. That incidental finding is one reason diagnosis rates appear to be rising.

Does kidney cancer cause blood in the urine?

It can. Blood in the urine — which may look pink, red, or cola colored — is a classic sign, along with persistent pain in the side or back, appetite loss, weight loss, fatigue, fever, and night sweats.

What is the most common type of kidney cancer?

Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type in adults, accounting for about nine out of ten kidney cancers. Young children are more likely to develop Wilms tumor.

Will I need to have my whole kidney removed?

Not always. For small cancers, partial nephrectomy (kidney-sparing surgery) removes only the tumor and a small margin. Even when the whole kidney is removed, most people have normal kidney function with one kidney and need no special diet.

How is kidney cancer staged?

Stages run from 1 to 4. Stage 1 means the tumor is 7 centimeters or smaller and contained in one kidney. Stage 4 means the cancer has grown beyond the kidney or spread to bones, liver, lungs, or other areas.

Does chemotherapy work for kidney cancer?

Usually not. Kidney cancers are typically resistant to chemotherapy. It may be used for certain rare types, but surgery, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, ablation, and radiation are the main tools.

Can stress or lifestyle cause kidney cancer?

In most cases, kidney cancer is unrelated to how you've lived your life. Known risk factors include older age, smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, certain inherited conditions, and family history — but most cases occur without a clear cause.

References

Kidney cancer — Symptoms and causes (Mayo Clinic, published August 17, 2024)

Kidney cancer — Diagnosis and treatment (Mayo Clinic, published August 17, 2024)

Rinnit.com provides general health information for educational purposes. This content does not replace professional medical advice — always consult a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.

Health information, not medical advice. This article is for general education and is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider about your own health, and seek emergency care for urgent symptoms.