Urology Insights Medically Verified Publication

Understanding the Difference Between Kidney Stones and Kidney Cancer and Their Treatment

Dr. Rajesh Khosla By Dr. Rajesh Khosla (Senior Urologist)
July 08, 2025
5 min read
Understanding the Difference Between Kidney Stones and Kidney Cancer and Their Treatment
There is quite a significant contrast between kidney stones and kidney cancer; a majority of people hardly notice it. They have different causes at most the same, and they have different symptoms. Some of the symptoms of kidney stones are blood in the urine, fever, chills, cloudy-looking urine, lower back pain, and vomiting. Then, there are symptoms of kidney cancer, which are swelling in the lower back, fatigue, pain in between ribs, and loss of appetite. The causes of kidney cancer are smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure, and those of kidney stones are lack of hydration, unsuccessful weight loss surgery, and many more. KIDNEY CANCER What becomes a concern is when they change and grow rapidly, out of control, and abnormally. In this case, this happens in the kidney and causes cancer. It may manifest as a lump in the lower back, showing the accumulated misbehaving cells. PLAG There are four types of cancers associated with the kidney, namely renal cell carcinoma, transitional cell, renal sarcoma, and Wilms tumor. These can be dealt with by kidney cancer treatment in India. SYMPTOMS OF KIDNEY CANCER 
  • Bloody pee 
  • Flank pain 
  • Tiredness
  • A lumped mass 
  • Weight loss 
  • Loss of appetite 
CAUSES OF KIDNEY CANCER
  • Obesity 
  • High blood pressure 
  • Family history 
  • Radiation therapy 
  • Changes of genes 
  • Tuberous sclerosis complex 
TREATMENT OF KIDNEY CANCER 
  • Removing the affected kidney 
  • Kidney transplant 
  • Radiofrequency ablation 
  • Radiation therapy 
  • Targeted therapy 
  • Immunotherapy 
  • Chemotherapy 
  • Palliative care 
KIDNEY STONES The formation of minerals that are present in the body accumulates and leads to the formation of crystals in the kidneys. They are usually located in the urinary tract and can be passed out during the process of urination. They can cause pain and require treatment to dissolve or break them up into smaller particles to prevent pain during urination. Sometimes, people can have them, but they are sometimes so small that they cannot be noticed. On their own, they take up to 21 days to pass out. This ailment is mostly contracted by men to a greater extent. There are four types of stones associated with this ailment, namely calcium-oxalate, uric acid, struvite, and cystine stones. SYMPTOMS OF KIDNEY STONES 
  • Pain when urinating 
  • Frequent urge to urinate 
  • Being unable to urinate 
  • Foul-smelling urine 
CAUSES OF KIDNEY STONES 
  • Dehydration 
  • Eating too salty food 
  • Eating too much sugar 
  • Infections 
  • Obesity 
TREATMENT OF KIDNEY STONES 
  • Medications to control vomiting 
  • Ureteroscopy procedure 
  • Shockwave lithotripsy surgery 
  • Laparoscopic surgery  
  • Percutaneous nephrolithotomy procedure 
In conclusion, kidney stones are different from kidney cancer by far. Their causes and symptoms are different. They are treated and managed differently, and if anyone finds themselves experiencing the detailed symptoms above, they should consider consulting Khosla Kidney and Surgical Centre for diagnosis and for either kidney cancer or kidney stone treatment. Depending on the severity of the kidney damage, they will prescribe a suitable treatment according to the same.
Dr. Rajesh Khosla

Medically Reviewed by Dr. Rajesh Khosla

Senior Urologist & Laser Surgeon with over 20+ years of clinical excellence in RIRS, HoLEP, Mini-PCNL, and Laparoscopic Surgeries at Khosla Stone Kidney & Surgical Centre, Ludhiana.