Kidney Cancer Day 2026: Oncologist reveals symptoms you must not ignore

Kidney cancer is often called a "silent" disease for a reason. Unlike many other cancers, it can grow quietly for years without causing obvious symptoms, allowing the disease to progress unnoticed.

According to Dr Arun Ramanan V, Senior Consultant and Medical Oncologist, Gleneagles Hospitals, Chennai, many patients only discover they have kidney cancer after it has already spread beyond the kidney.

"As a medical oncologist, the kidney cancer patients I treat are very often the ones who came to a doctor too late," he says. "By the time the disease reaches my clinic, it has usually spread beyond the kidney and needs long-term medicines rather than a simple, curative surgery."

"This is the hard truth about kidney cancer in India. It is largely a silent disease, and silence is dangerous."

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Why kidney cancer often goes unnoticed

One of the biggest challenges with kidney cancer is its location.

The kidneys sit deep inside the abdomen, cushioned by fat, muscle and the lower ribs. This means a small tumour can grow for years without causing pain or affecting how the kidney functions.

"The patient feels completely healthy while the cancer quietly develops," says Dr Ramanan.

In fact, many early-stage kidney cancers are discovered by chance during an ultrasound or CT scan performed for an unrelated problem, such as kidney stones, back pain or a routine health check-up.

"The old textbook signs – blood in the urine, side pain and a lump together – usually appear only in advanced disease," he explains. "Waiting for clear symptoms is the wrong strategy."

Low awareness can make matters worse. Symptoms such as tiredness or a single episode of blood in the urine are often dismissed as an infection or kidney stones, delaying diagnosis when early treatment could have been most effective.

The warning signs you should never ignore

While kidney cancer can be silent, there are several symptoms that should never be brushed aside.

These include blood in the urine (even if it happens only once), a dull, persistent ache in the side or lower back, a lump or swelling in the abdomen, unexplained weight loss, ongoing fatigue, and recurrent low-grade fever without a clear infection.

"Do not wait for blood in the urine to happen a second time," says Dr Ramanan.

"One episode is enough reason to see a doctor and get an ultrasound."

Are you at a higher risk of kidney cancer?

Kidney cancer is about twice as common in men as it is in women, and the risk increases with age.

However, doctors are increasingly seeing Indian patients develop the disease at a younger age than is typically reported in Western countries.

"The main risk factors fit how India lives today," says Dr Ramanan.

These include tobacco use, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, long-standing kidney disease, dialysis, and a family history of kidney cancer.

"The encouraging part is that tobacco, weight and blood pressure are all within our control," he adds.

Why early diagnosis can save your life

There is one particularly hopeful message when it comes to kidney cancer: early detection can dramatically improve outcomes.

"When kidney cancer is caught early, while still confined to the kidney, the outlook is excellent," says Dr Ramanan.

"Small tumours can often be removed while saving the rest of the kidney, and many patients are cured by surgery alone. They never need an oncologist at all."

The situation becomes far more complicated once the cancer spreads beyond the kidney.

"Advanced kidney cancer needs long-term treatment," he explains. "Modern targeted therapies and immunotherapy have genuinely improved survival, but they are expensive and demanding, both physically and financially."

"Prevention and early detection remain far better than the best late-stage treatment."

The simple scan that could make a difference

Unlike many advanced medical tests, one of the most useful tools for detecting kidney cancer is relatively simple.

"A simple abdominal ultrasound – cheap, quick and available across India – can detect many kidney tumours," says Dr Ramanan.

"For anyone with risk factors, including it in a routine health check is a small, sensible step."

Experts say this is particularly important for people with high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, a history of smoking or a family history of kidney cancer.

Kidney cancer affects more than just the body

This year's World Kidney Cancer Day theme, "Kidney Cancer and Emotional Wellbeing", highlights another often-overlooked aspect of the disease.

A cancer diagnosis can bring significant emotional stress, fear and anxiety, affecting not just patients but also their families.

Doctors say emotional wellbeing deserves attention alongside medical treatment and should be considered an important part of cancer care.

Don't ignore the first warning sign

The message from oncologists is straightforward.

Take blood in the urine seriously the first time it happens. Manage the risk factors you can control. And if you are concerned, do not hesitate to get checked.

"The early cancers we cure are almost always the ones we found before the patient ever felt sick," says Dr Ramanan.

When it comes to kidney cancer, acting early can make all the difference.