Can kidney stones lead to kidney cancer? Let's find out

Differentiating between health concerns becomes a challenge even for the most experienced medical professionals when two different illnesses exhibit similar symptoms. One such case involves kidney cancer and kidney stones. Although both these conditions can sometimes exhibit similar symptoms both of them are distinct conditions that have very different diagnoses and treatments.

According to a study published in QJM: An International Journal of Medicine in 2015, there is a significant risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) in male patients with prior kidney stones. As we observe World Kidney Cancer Day on 20th June this year, let's delve a little deeper to understand the subtleties of these two conditions, highlighting the differences in their symptoms and methods of diagnosis.

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Kidney cancer vs kidney stone: Understanding the difference

What is kidney cancer?

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According to the American Cancer Society, kidney cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the kidney when abnormal cells begin to grow and multiply uncontrollably. With time, as more cancer cells develop, they lead to the formation of a tumour that can spread to other parts of the body.

Symptoms

Data from the National Library of Medicine suggests that the most commonly reported symptoms of kidney cancer include:

• Hematuria (blood in urine)
• unexplained weight loss
• fatigue
• persistent pain in the side or lower back
• abdominal mass or swelling

Diagnoses

No matter your symptoms, a formal and definite diagnosis of kidney cancer is only provided by your doctor after he asks you to undergo a slew of tests such as CT scans, MRIs, and or ultrasounds, which are then followed by a biopsy for confirmation of cancerous cells.

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What are kidney stones?

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According to the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, kidney stones are deposits of minerals and salts that form within the kidneys or urinary tract. While most commonly, these stones are primarily composed of calcium they can also be made up of uric acid or an amino acid called cystine. Ranging from the size of a grain they can also grow up to become as big as a golf ball in rare cases.

Common symptoms

According to the National Kidney Foundation, people suffering from kidney stones generally exhibit the following symptoms:

• sharp pain on either side of your lower back
• persistent stomach ache that just doesn't go away
• burning sensation while urinating
• urine that smells bad or looks cloudy
• blood in urine
• nausea
• fever and chills

Diagnoses

A medical history, physical examination, and imaging testing are the first steps in the diagnosis of a kidney stone. To learn about the precise size and location of a kidney stone, doctors often order a high-resolution CT scan from the kidneys to the bladder or a KUB X-ray. Only after getting to know about the precise dimensions of the kidney stone, the doctor will suggest an appropriate treatment plan.

Conclusively, it is important to understand the key differences between kidney cancer and kidney stones for an accurate diagnosis, appropriate treatment planning, and long-term prognosis for people affected by these health conditions.

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