Although it doesn’t always draw as much attention as other types of cancer, kidney cancer is one of the 10 most common cancers, especially among people over 55. Over 14,000 Americans will die from the disease this year, but with advancing treatments, many more will extend their life and vitality.
The key, as is the case with most cancers, is to catch the disease early – although many symptoms don’t show up until advanced stages, there are some suspicious physical signs to watch out for that could indicate kidney cancer. We will teach you what is renal cell carcinoma and strange symptoms of kidney cancer which you might not expect.
1Loss of Appetite
A change in taste, food aversions, and loss of appetite can be explained by illness or allergies, but they can also point to a deeper issue in a kidney disease patient. As cancer grows in the body, metabolism begins to change, nausea can begin to surface, fatigue leads to inactivity, and anemia (low red blood cell count) drains energy – all of these can leave you feeling less hungry and less interested in food.
In some cases of kidney cancer, a loss of appetite will come with a persistent low-grade fever, and the general discomfort can even make your favourite foods unpalatable.