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Cancer - renal pelvis or ureter - Symptom

Alternative Names

Transitional cell cancer of the renal pelvis or ureter

Symptoms:

Back pain, located where ribs and spine meet
Bloody urine
Burning, pain, or discomfort with urination
Dark, rust-colored, or brown urine
Fatigue
Flank pain
Need to urinate frequently at night
Unintentional weight loss
Urinary frequency or urgency
Urinary hesitancy

Signs and tests:

A physician will examine the abdomen by touch. Rarely is there a lump (mass) or enlarged kidney. The patient may have blood in the urine. A complete blood count (CBC) may show anemia.

Cancer cells may appear on the following tests:

Urine cytology (microscopic examination of cells) taken during a cystoscopy
Urine cytology taken from a urine sample

The tumor, or signs of urinary obstruction, may appear on:

An x-ray, CT scan, or MRI of other areas of the body may show that the cancer has spread from the kidneys.

Kidney anatomy

Reviewed last on: 6/10/2008
David C. Dugdale III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Bladder Cancer, Including Upper Tract Tumors and Urothelial Carcinoma of the Prostate. National Comprehensive Cancer Network; 2008. Version 2.2008.

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