What is kidney cancer?
Kidney cancer is a cancer that starts in the kidney. Your kidneys are inside your body, near your back, under your ribs. They help clean your blood and make wee.
Sometimes a small lump can start to grow in a kidney. This can make you feel unwell, or cause changes like blood in your wee, pain in your side or back or feeling very tired.
Finding kidney cancer early can make it easier to treat. Kidney cancer can happen to anyone, but it is more common as people get older.
Lifestyle factors that can increase risk include:
- Smoking
- Being overweight or living with obesity
- High blood pressure
Things that can help lower risk over time, remember, small changes help:
- Stop smoking support is available here
- Work towards a healthier weight
- Check and manage blood pressure
Other long-term factors worth knowing:
- A close relative with kidney cancer
- Certain inherited (genetic) conditions
- Long-term dialysis for chronic kidney disease
- Long-term exposure to some workplace chemicals (for example trichloroethylene in some industrial settings)
Kidney cancer usually develops because of a mix of factors over time. Having a risk factor does not mean someone will definitely get cancer.
You don’t need to panic, just notice what’s normal for you. Here are some things to look out for (liver cancer can also be caused by other, less serious problems):
- Yellow skin or yellow eyes (jaundice)
- Itchy skin, dark wee, or paler poo than usual
- Pain or discomfort at the top right of your tummy, or pain in your right shoulder
- A swollen tummy that is not linked to eating
- Feeling full very quickly, indigestion or a change in appetite
- Feeling or being sick
- Feeling very tired, weak or generally unwell
- Losing weight without trying
- A lump on the right side of your tummy (under your ribs)
Speak to your GP practice if you notice blood in your pee, a lump or swelling in your back / side / neck, pain that won’t go away, or unexplained weight loss / tiredness.
Tests and next steps for kidney cancer - NHS
For more information you can visit any of the links below.
Last reviewed: January 2026