Kidney cancer: Expert cautions smokers, drug addicts on dangers

Dr Ovo Samuel, a medical officer at the General Hospital Ughelli in Edo State, says smokers are liable to develop kidney cancer at age 40 and above.

Ovo, who disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Benin, said cigarette smoking damaged the kidney and lungs.

He said some of the possible symptoms of kidney cancer were blood in urine, lump in the side or abdomen, loss of appetite, pain in the side that never subsides, weight loss and fever that lasts for weeks.

The physician also said extreme fatigue, anaemia, swellings in the ankles or legs, shortness of breath, coughing of blood and bone pain were also symptoms of cancer.

He said the ailment developed gradually from the body, presenting simple symptoms and graduating to complications if not treated promptly.

“The most common symptom of kidney cancer is a tumour in the kidney near a lymph node,” he said.

He, however, warned of illicit drug intake and alcohol consumption, saying both habits endangered the kidney.