Malaga experts' kidney cancer warning: 'Check your urine before flushing'

To mark World Kidney Cancer Day (18 June), Malaga doctors urged everyone to pay attention to any changes in urine and consult their health centre if they notice any unusual or persistent urinary symptoms or signs.

One of the easiest tips to follow is to check your urine before flushing. This type of cancer can remain silent in its early stages, so close monitoring is essential.

Malaga experts say that approximately two to three per cent of malignant tumours are kidney tumours. If a total of 11,000 cancers are diagnosed in Malaga this year, according to the Andalusian society of medical oncology (SAOM) around 300 will be kidney cancers.

In many cases, the symptoms are unclear, making early detection difficult. The Spanish society of general practitioners (SEMG) states that "a significant proportion of kidney tumours are detected incidentally, during ultrasound, CT scans or other imaging tests".

Furthermore, there are no screening programmes for the early detection of kidney cancer in asymptomatic individuals. Early consultation is crucial in these cases.

General practitioner Dr Mariló Padial warns: "In kidney cancer, we must consider a basic triad that all GPs must pay close attention to. First, we observe the colour of the urine. We speak of hematuria when there are suspicions of blood in the urine, such as pink, reddish or wine-coloured urine."

There are more early symptoms: "Persistent lower back pain with no explanation, no underlying bone issue to justify it, unexplained weight loss, anaemia and a prolonged fever without any apparent cause."

To prevent it, the prescription is the classic one: quitting smoking, controlling obesity, physical exercise, a healthy diet and managing hypertension.

"It's a type of cancer that doesn't have a very clear or obvious diagnosis or symptoms. It's often diagnosed accidentally, because of an ultrasound or CT scan. It's important to be aware of these symptoms and request additional tests like an ultrasound," Dr Padial says.

If there is any suspicion, "consulting with another specialist, such as a urologist or a nephrologist, is very important".

This cancer, Dr Padial points out, doesn't have a clear cause. It usually begins between the ages of 60 and 70.

"Men have twice the incidence of kidney cancer as women. Family history and a number of hereditary conditions predispose individuals to kidney cancer, depending on the stage and the cancer's pathophysiology. There's clear cell carcinoma, papillary carcinoma and other rarer types of carcinoma. The most common is clear cell carcinoma. If it's caught early, treatments can be much more effective," Dr Padial explains.

Head of nephrourology at the SEMG Dr Pedro García says: "Although most of these symptoms are not due to cancer, they should always be evaluated when they appear persistently, repeatedly or without an obvious cause. Observing your urine should not cause fear, but rather awareness. If you have any doubts, consult your doctor. Your GP can help you interpret the symptoms, initiate the appropriate tests and support you from the very beginning."

The GP occupies a strategic position in this process. They can assess symptoms, identify risk factors, order the necessary initial tests and coordinate, when necessary, referrals to urology, nephrology and oncology.

"This comprehensive approach is especially impactful because kidney cancer not only affects the diseased organ, but also the person's physical, emotional, familial and social well-being."

Early detection allows for a more effective approach and, in certain cases, enables less aggressive treatments with better prospects for disease control. For the SEMG, improving public health education, avoiding both unnecessary alarm and the trivialisation of relevant symptoms, is key.

Blood in the urine, even if it appears only once and is not accompanied by pain, should prompt a medical consultation. "Primary care is the entry point to the healthcare system and a key element in guiding diagnosis" and initiating check-ups, experts say.

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