| The human body goes about its work without | | | | doctor discovers symptoms of kidney cancer |
| calling a lot of attention to what it is doing. Every | | | | during a physical exam such as a fever, high blood |
| once in a while, it gives a sign that something isn't | | | | pressure or masses in the abdomen or on the |
| working quite right. A person may suddenly get a | | | | side, he will most likely proceed with further |
| fever or discover that there is blood in the urine. | | | | testing. |
| These are two common kidney cancer | | | | If a patient history and physical exam provide |
| symptoms that can often be mistaken for other | | | | enough cause for further tests, a doctor often |
| conditions. | | | | recommends blood and urine tests. Kidney cancer |
| When visiting a doctor because of suspicious | | | | symptoms found by these tests often include |
| symptoms, it is important for him to know if the | | | | unexplained rises in the level of certain substances |
| patient is at risk of getting kidney cancer. Some | | | | like creatinine, which is filtered by the kidneys. If |
| common risk factors include having undergone | | | | something is preventing the kidneys from filtering |
| long-term dialysis, a family history of kidney | | | | properly, doctors will want to perform further |
| cancer, smoking or being exposed to second-hand | | | | testing. |
| smoke and occupational exposure to chemicals or | | | | Additional testing including ultrasounds, computed |
| hazardous waste. | | | | tomography (CT) scans or magnetic resonance |
| Once the risks have been assessed, the patient | | | | imaging (MRI) scans may become necessary if |
| often undergoes a physical exam in order to | | | | the previous results indicate the possibility of |
| discover any other possible kidney cancer | | | | kidney cancer. A biopsy is an examination of |
| symptoms. It is important to inform the doctor of | | | | tissues or liquids from the living body to determine |
| any excessive, unexplained weight loss, consistent | | | | the existence or cause of a disease. This is often |
| pain in the side or lower back, the presence of | | | | done by extracting cells using a long needle. |
| lumps in the abdomen or a general sense of being | | | | Biopsies can tell if a mass is cancerous or benign. |
| unwell. Doctors often check for high blood | | | | If kidney cancer symptoms and subsequent |
| pressure and swelling of the lower extremities. | | | | testing determines that a patient does, in fact, |
| When a doctor suspects that a patient may have | | | | have kidney cancer, the doctor will advise a |
| kidney cancer, he can perform a number of | | | | treatment plan. Treatment for kidney cancer can |
| procedures in order to get a diagnosis. | | | | range from radiation therapy and surgery to |
| Attack-Kidney-Cancer may have the answers. | | | | chemotherapy and immunological therapy or a |
| The most common first step in diagnosing any | | | | combination of treatments. |
| condition is to perform a physical exam. If a | | | | |