Father, 43, of Three Who Enjoys Golf Says He Thought Recurring Back Pain Was ‘Wear and Tear’ But Learns He Has Kidney Cancer Instead – Recognizing the Subtle Symptoms

Souter, who works as a project director, remembers “blacking out” the moment he heard his diagnosis — his wife had to absorb the details he couldn’t.

“Luckily, my wife was with me so she could listen to everything that was going on,” he said.

For months, he’d chalked up the sharp sting in his lower back to the usual wear and tear of an active life. But when acupuncture, sports massages, and even a back spasm that left him stuck on the floor still didn’t bring relief, he finally booked an appointment for a more thorough scan.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kidney Cancer UK (@kidneycanceruk)

His doctor found nothing wrong with his spine, which only deepened the concern. Further testing uncovered the real source of his pain: a two-centimeter kidney tumor.

Kidney cancer affects tens of thousands of Americans each year, according to the National Cancer Institute. The disease can develop in both adults and children, and early symptoms are often subtle or absent. Common signs may include blood in the urine, fatigue, weight loss, persistent fever, and lower back pain on one side.

After his diagnosis, Souter and his wife Kerry met with specialists to weigh treatment options. Kidney cancer surgery was on the table, and they first explored a partial nephrectomy (removing part of the kidney), which carried a dangerous risk of severe bleeding, so they chose a total nephrectomy to remove the entire kidney.

Even as he prepared for surgery, Souter worried most about how the diagnosis would affect his children. He softened the truth to spare them fear.

“My youngest, Archie, and Belle knew something was wrong, but we didn’t explain the details. I just told them I was popping out to the hospital for a minor operation,” Souter said.

Experts say this is a common struggle.

“Cancer patients with children can have increased motivation to endure difficult treatment but may also be concerned about the emotional impact of the illness on their offspring,” notes Dr. Cindy Moore of Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. She encourages parents to work with their care team to create age-appropriate communication plans.

One unexpected lifeline for Souter was therapy — something he initially resisted.

“I tried to put off counselling, as many men do… but it’s one of the best things I have ever done,” he said. Walking became part of his healing routine, starting with laps around the house and gradually expanding outdoors as he talked with his counselor by phone.

Now in recovery, Souter hopes his story pushes others to listen to their bodies — especially when something feels off.

Coping With Your Mental Health After a Diagnosis

According to Mental Health America, “56% of adults with a mental illness receive no treatment, and over 27 million individuals experiencing a mental illness are going untreated.”

While millions of people have unmet mental health needs, the need for mental health resources is even greater among cancer patients and their families.

Research published in Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences found that “35 to 40 percent of cancer patients have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder,” and the number of people experiencing mental health challenges is “higher among cancer patients with advanced stages of cancer and in palliative care settings.”

WATCH: How Genetic Testing Can Help Determine the Right Form of Mental Health Treatment.

Dr. Asher Aladjem, a board-certified psychiatrist at NYU Langone, tells SurvivorNet, “Anxiety is a protective and normal kind of symptom.”

“Sometimes the anxiety gets to the point that things stand in the way of the scan or whatever the test is, and people avoid it and run away from it. Treating the anxiety allows for the completion of the workup or the treatment or whatever the situation may be in a much more effective way,” Dr. Aladjem said.

Dr. Alagjem encourages patients to advocate for their mental health. He reminds us that even if mental health services are not offered while undergoing physical treatment for a diagnosis, patients can still ask their care team about them.

“We are trying to advocate for patients to be able to get the services that they need with whatever support they may need – whether it’s medications or therapy or nursing staff,” Dr. Alagjem added.

Kidney Cancer Symptoms and Treatment

In the early stages, kidney cancer may not cause noticeable symptoms. However, what a patient experiences can differ widely depending on the tumor’s type, size, and location. Below are some potential symptoms and side effects that individuals with kidney cancer might encounter:

• Blood in the urine
• Lower back pain on one side
• Tiredness and fatigue
• Weight loss
• Reduced appetite
• Lumps or growths on the lower back or the side
• High temperature and fever that doesn’t seem to go away
• Anemia: low counts of red blood cells

Surgery is often the primary approach for treating kidney tumors, with the goal of fully removing the cancer. However, this option is typically considered when the tumor is still localized—meaning it’s a manageable size and hasn’t spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body. There are several types of surgical procedures used to treat kidney cancer, including:

• Radical nephrectomy
• Partial nephrectomy
• Cytoreductive nephrectomy
• Laparoscopic and robotic surgery
• Mastectomy

Treatment Options for Kidney Cancer: What You Should Know

Kidney cancer can be treated through a range of approaches—each designed to target cancer cells in different ways. Your care team will help determine the best path forward based on your diagnosis, overall health, and personal preferences. Here’s a breakdown of key treatment options:

• Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA): This minimally invasive procedure uses a needle inserted directly into the tumor. Electric currents and radiofrequency waves heat and destroy the cancerous tissue from within.
• Cryoablation: In this technique, extremely cold probes are placed into the tumor to freeze and kill cancer cells. It’s often used for small tumors or patients who aren’t candidates for surgery.
• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy uses powerful medications to stop cancer cells from growing, dividing, or surviving. While kidney cancer is often resistant to traditional chemotherapy, certain drugs may be used in specific cases or in combination with other therapies.
• Radiation Therapy: High-energy particles or waves are used to damage and destroy cancer cells. The two main types are:
  • External Beam Radiation: Delivered from outside the body, targeting the tumor with precision.
  • Internal Radiation (Brachytherapy): Places radioactive material directly inside or near the tumor.
• Immunotherapy: This innovative approach activates your immune system to better detect and attack cancer cells. Treatments like immune checkpoint inhibitors help the body overcome cancer’s defenses and mount a stronger response.
• Targeted Therapy: These drugs zero in on specific genes or proteins that fuel cancer growth. One notable example is belzutifan (Welireg), approved by the FDA in August 2021 for patients with Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease-related kidney cancers. Belzutifan blocks a protein called HIF-2α, which normally supplies oxygen and nutrients to cancer cells—cutting off this pathway can shrink tumors significantly.
• Combination Therapy: In many cases, doctors may recommend a blend of treatments—such as immunotherapy paired with targeted therapy—to increase effectiveness and tailor care to your unique needs.

WATCH: Immunotherapy Needs to be Tailored

The Immunotherapy Offering Kidney Cancer Patients Hope

The immunotherapy drug Keytruda is approved to treat some types of kidney cancer. Immunotherapy is a powerful cancer treatment option that uses the patient’s own immune cells to fight the cancer after a bit of reengineering in a lab. The drug’s approval stemmed from the KEYNOTE-564 trial.

“The goal (of the study) was to see if (the drug) can prevent kidney cancer coming back,” Dr. Toni Choueiri, director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and lead author of the study, tells SurvivorNet. (The study itself was supported by pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. and conceived by Dr. Choueiri and some co-authors.)

Keytruda was approved for the adjuvant treatment (additional cancer treatment given after the primary treatment) of patients with renal cell carcinoma at an intermediate-high or high risk of recurrence following nephrectomy, or following nephrectomy and resection (removal) of metastatic lesions.

A Note on Side Effects and Shared Decision-Making

While these treatments offer hope, they can also come with side effects that impact your body and daily life. That’s why it’s essential to have open, honest conversations with your doctor. Together, you can weigh the risks and benefits, explore supportive care options, and choose a treatment plan that aligns with your values and goals.

What to Know About Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome

According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome (VHL) has been linked to the onset of many types of benign and malignant tumors, including a 60% risk of getting kidney cancer.

VHL is a rare genetic condition that happens as a result of VHL gene impairment (either gene deletion or mutation) and can cause several types of tumors to grow in different areas of the body. These tumors can be benign or malignant.

Questions For Your Doctor

If you are faced with kidney cancer or you are caring for a loved one who is, here are some questions you can ask your care team to ensure you are getting the best treatment possible.

• What treatment options are available for my specific type and stage of kidney cancer, and how do they differ?
• What are the potential benefits and risks of each treatment, including surgery, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy?
• How will treatment affect my daily life?
• Are there clinical trials that might be appropriate for my situation?
• How will we monitor whether the treatment is working, and what are the next steps if it isn’t?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

---