Kidney cancer happens when normal cells in the kidney change into abnormal cells and grow out of control. People have two kidneys, one on each side of the mid-back. The kidneys’ job is to filter the blood and remove waste and excess salt and water. Urine is made up of these ingredients.

Symptoms of kidney cancer — Kidney cancer may not cause any symptoms at first.

• Blood in the urine
• Pain on either side of your lower back, in your side, or in your stomach
• A lump in your belly or on the side of your back
• Weight loss that you cannot explain

These symptoms can also be caused by conditions that are not cancer. But if people have these symptoms, they should be checked by a doctor or nurse.

Test for kidney cancer — the doctor might order a test to check your kidneys. These tests can show tumors or abnormal growths. They create images of your kidneys in different ways, and they include:

• Ultrasound (uses sound waves to create images)
• CT scan (is a type of X-ray)
• MRI (uses magnets to create images)

kidney cancer staging — Cancer staging is a way in which doctors find out how far a cancer has spread.

The right treatment for will depend a lot on the stage of your cancer.

Kidney cancer treats as — People with kidney cancer often have one or both of the following treatments:

• Surgery – Kidney cancer is usually treated with surgery to remove the cancer. To do this, a surgeon can remove either all or part of the affected kidney. The decision about how much of the affected kidney to remove depends on different things, including how well the other kidney works.
  
  If the cancer-free kidney is healthy, it can do the work of both kidneys. In this case, the surgeon removes the whole cancerous kidney. But if the cancer-free kidney is not healthy (for example, because it has been damaged by diabetes), it cannot take over for both kidneys. In this case, the surgeon might remove only the part of the cancerous kidney.
• Medicines – Different medicines can also be used to treat kidney cancer. Doctors can prescribe these medicines in addition to or instead of surgery. The medicines can:
• Helps body’s infection-fighting system attack the cancer cells
• Slow or stop the growth of the cancer

After treatment — People will be checked every so often to see if the cancer comes back. Follow up tests can include exams, lab tests, and X-ray tests.

Cancer comes back or spreads — if the cancer comes back or spreads, they might have more surgery or receive more medicine.

What else should I do? — It is important to follow all the doctor’s instructions about visits and tests. It’s also important to talk to the doctor about any side effects or problems that have during treatment. Getting treated for kidney cancer involves making many choices, such as which type of surgery to have or which medicine to take.