Who is most at risk of getting kidney cancer?

Top Doctors recently had the pleasure of speaking with distinguished consultant urologist, Mr Neil Haldar, to find out all about the main warning signs of kidney cancer, the survival rates, and the diagnostic process.

What are the first warning signs of kidney cancer?

Often, patients will present with blood in the urine. Patients also may experience some back discomfort, loss of appetite, weight loss, unexplained fever, and fatigue.

How is kidney cancer diagnosed?

It can be detected on an ultrasound scan, and we can also do a CT or MRI scan.

How is kidney cancer treated?

If the cancer is localised and confined to the kidney, we could surgically remove the kidney, or we could just remove the tumour itself. These procedures are normally performed via keyhole or robotic surgery nowadays.

Who is most at risk of getting kidney cancer?

The risk of developing kidney cancer increases with age, so older patients are more at risk. Smokers and people who are considered obese are also at risk. Family history and high blood pressure are other risk factors.

Does kidney cancer spread to other parts of the body quickly?

It can spread to the lungs, liver, bones, and lymph glands. The risk of this depends on the size of the tumour in the kidney. The vast majority of patients will present with a small tumour, so we would expect the cancer to be confined to the kidneys.

Does kidney cancer have a high survival rate?

This very much depends on the stage of the kidney cancer at the time it is diagnosed. If the cancer is confined to the kidney upon diagnosis, patients could expect a 93 per cent survival rate at five years.

If the cancer has spread to the lymph glands around the kidney, the survival rate for patients is around 69 per cent at five years. If it has spread to other parts of the body, then their survival rate goes down to around 13 per cent at five years.

To book an appointment with Mr Neil Haldar, you can visit his Top Doctors profile today to do just that.