Kidney cancer or kidney disease may present with the following symptoms:

• Blood in the urine
• A lump in the side or the abdomen
• Anemia
• Fatigue
• Sudden and unexpected weight loss
• Pain in the side or lower back
• Loss of appetite
• Fever that does not go away for weeks

Kidney cancer or kidney disease can be diagnosed using the following diagnostic procedures:

• Medical history and physical exam- the doctor would check the patient’s medical for risk factors and symptoms. The doctor might look for the presence of a mass or lump in the abdomen near the kidneys.
• Urinalysis (urine tests)- the doctor would check for blood in the urine or other signs such as cancer cells in the urine.
• Blood tests- for a complete blood count and to test functioning of the kidneys
• Imaging tests- such as MRI, CT scan, PET scan and ultrasounds can help look for a lump or mass
• Intravenous pyelogram (IVP)- X-ray of the kidneys

There are two different approaches to surgery; open surgery and laparoscopic surgery.

• Open surgery- a single long incision is made in the front of the abdomen or the side of the abdomen. The ureter and the blood vessels connected to the kidney are cut off from it and the kidney is removed. The incision is then closed with stitches.
• Laparoscopic approach- in this procedure, the surgeon makes several small incisions. A device with a camera on one end, called a laproscope, is inserted through one of these incisions, the images from which can be seen on a monitor. Long, thin surgical devices are inserted through the other incisions to perform the surgery. The kidney is removed through one of these incisions. It is a less invasive technique as compared to open surgery.

As with any other major surgery, a nephrectomy may include the following risks:

• Bleeding
• Infection at the incision site
• Damage to nearby organs
• Allergic reaction to the anesthetic administered during surgery
• Post-operative pneumonia

The surgery is 2-4 hours long. The patient may have to stay in the hospital for 3-5 days. Symptoms like fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, constipation or headache may be experienced a couple weeks after surgery. The patient can get back to work 4-6 weeks post the surgery.