March is Kidney Cancer Awareness Month
March is Kidney Cancer Awareness Month. While there are no screening tests for Kidney Cancer, there are things you can do to lower your risk:
Quit Smoking- now. Smoking is a factor in many cancers, kidney cancer is one of them.
Limit use of NSAIDs-Overuse of NSAIDS not only can cause stomach or intestinal bleeding, but also is a risk in kidney cancer.
Eat your Vegetables- Eating more vegetables lowers your risk of most cancers, kidney cancer is one of them.
Keep your blood pressure under control- High Blood Pressure puts you at risk for it. If you have HBP take your meds, follow your doctors’ instructions.
Exercise-It’s good for everything!
Other things, you can do nothing about are gender, many more men than women get KC, and age. The older you are the higher the risk.
Symptoms of Kidney Cancer-
Blood in the Urine
Flank pain
Pain in the lower back
Loss of Appetite
Frequent Fevers, of no known cause
Anemia
High Blood Pressure
While most kidney cancers are found in later stages, some are found early during a scan, or exam for something else (How mine and many others are found every year.)