Last updated: 14-Oct-2026
Dr Swati Shah
MS, DrNB (Surgical Oncology)
Kidney Cancer Surgeon
Apollo Hospital, Bhat, Gandhinagar · Gota OPD, Ahmedabad · 18 years of experience
★★★★★ 4.99 from 84 Google reviews (Gota clinic) · 5.0 from 35 (Apollo, Bhat)
IN SHORT
Most kidney cancers today cause no symptoms at first. They show up on an ultrasound or CT scan done for some other complaint.
Blood in the urine, a pain in the side and a lump in the side are the classic signs. When they appear, the tumour is often already large.
Some kidney cancers first look like another illness: a low blood count, high calcium, fever or weight loss with no clear reason.
Many people learn about a kidney tumour while being checked for something else. An ultrasound for stomach pain, or a CT scan after an accident, mentions a mass in the kidney. There was no pain and no blood. This is now the commonest way kidney cancer is found. The absence of symptoms proves nothing about the growth. So a report that mentions a solid or complex kidney mass should never be filed away. It needs the right follow-up scan, explained further down.
Three signs are linked with kidney cancer. Each one is a reason to be checked, but none of them proves cancer, and their absence does not rule it out.
| Sign | What it can mean | What is checked |
|---|---|---|
| Blood in the urine without pain | A growth in the kidney, the urine tube or the bladder. | The kidneys and the bladder are both examined, at any age. |
| A dull pain in the side or back | Often a late sign of a larger tumour. | A proper contrast CT scan of the kidneys. |
| A lump felt in the side | Also a late sign. | The same CT scan, and a chest scan. |
| New swollen veins above one testis | A blocked kidney vein, if it is new, on the right, or does not shrink lying down. | The scan looks for a tumour clot in the kidney vein. |
Kidney cancer can release substances that affect the whole body. These clues are often blamed on something else for months, so they are worth naming.
A few situations cannot wait for a routine visit. They need the surgeon the same day, because the first step is to make the patient safe.
A small number of kidney cancers run in families. A referral for genetic advice is made when the patient is younger than 46, when both kidneys or several spots are affected, when a parent, brother, sister or child had kidney cancer, or when other features suggest a family syndrome. The result can matter for relatives too.
Kidney cysts are graded on the CT. Simple cysts need no follow-up. Some need watching, and the more complex ones are treated like cancer. If the scan shows a tumour, the next question is whether part of the kidney or all of it is removed. That choice is explained on the partial or whole kidney removal page.
Yes. Most kidney cancers today cause none at first. They are seen on an ultrasound or CT scan done for some other reason.
No. But blood in the urine without pain always needs checking. Both the kidneys and the bladder are examined, whatever your age.
Most cysts are harmless. A contrast CT grades the cyst. Simple ones need no follow-up, some are watched, and complex ones are treated like cancer.
It lets the radiologist measure how much the growth lights up with dye. That is what separates a solid tumour from a cyst.
Often not. A biopsy is done when its result would change the plan, such as before ablation or before medicines for spread disease.
If a kidney tumour is confirmed, the operation choice is explained on the partial or whole kidney removal page. For questions, call +91-63590-11009.
Shah’s Gastro, Cancer & Robotic Surgery Centre
Dr Swati Shah — MS, DrNB (Surgical Oncology) · Kidney Cancer Surgeon
Consultation: Gota OPD, Gota, Ahmedabad. Surgery: Apollo Hospital, Bhat, Gandhinagar.
Gota OPD — Gota, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Apollo Hospital, Bhat, Gandhinagar — Apollo Hospital International Limited, Plot No. 1 A, GIDC Bhat Industrial Estate, Bhat, Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Call: +91-63590-11009 · WhatsApp: +91-63590-11009
A scan report mentions a growth in the kidney, or there is blood in your urine? The scan films and reports can be sent ahead on WhatsApp, so the visit starts with them already read. What they mean for you is decided at the consultation, after examination. Call +91-63590-11009 Send reports before your visit
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