Cancer - renal pelvis or ureter

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Overview	Symptoms	Treatment	Prevention

Cancer - renal pelvis or ureter

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

Exams and Tests

A physician will examine the abdomen by touch, but it rarely reveals a mass or an 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) obtained during a cystoscopy
Urine cytology obtained 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

Review Date: 9/11/2006
Reviewed By: Rita Nanda, M.D., Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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