Kidney cancer
There were 334 cases of kidney cancer diagnosed in Northern Ireland in 2017. Kidney cancer is more common in men than women. Around 3 out of 4 people diagnosed with kidney cancer are aged 60 or older; kidney cancer is rare in people under 50. The earlier a cancer is picked up, the easier it is to treat it and the more likely the treatment is to be successful.
Signs and Symptoms
The most common early symptom of kidney cancer is blood in the urine.
Other symptoms include:
- tiredness;
- loss of appetite;
- weight loss;
- a high temperature and very heavy sweating;
- a pain in the side (below the ribs) that won’t go away;
- a general feeling of poor health.
If you experience any of these symptoms, it is important that you see your GP. It is unlikely that your symptoms are caused by a serious problem, but it is important to be checked out. A high temperature and sweats can be caused by an infection, and your doctor may want to rule this out first.
Resources
There are a number of websites that provide information relating to kidney cancer, these include:
This is not an exhaustive list and other sources of support in Northern Ireland can also be accessed via Northern Ireland Cancer Network and Useful links | Be Cancer Aware.