Does Kidney Cancer Spread to the Neck?

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There are particular places where metastasis of kidney cancer usually spreads to. But since cancer cells that break away from the primary tumor can travel anywhere, they may also spread to the neck and form a secondary cancer in there.

According to statistics, the distant metastasis of kidney cancer is commonly found in the bones, lungs, liver, brain, and the other kidney (see more in this section). It is not common to be found in the neck, but sometimes it may also spread and form a new secondary tumor in the distant lymph nodes such as cervical (neck) lymph nodes.

The common kidney cancer symptoms include blood found in the urine (this is the most common symptom), pain in the side-upper back (flank area), appetite loss, unexplained weight loss, fever, high blood pressure, anemia, and fatigue. And if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes of the neck, you may also experience some of the following symptoms:

1. Unexplained a lump or pain in the neck that doesn’t go away.
2. A persistent sore throat.
3. Difficulty in swallowing.
4. Hoarseness (changes in voice).
5. Frequent coughing.
6. Headaches or/and trouble hearing (or ear pain).
7. Unexplained weight loss that may come with appetite loss.

Sometimes the secondary cancer in the neck may not show any of these symptoms. In general, the symptoms are usually dependent on the location and size of metastasis.

Can you have a secondary cancer without a primary cancer? No, because a secondary cancer is always caused by cancer cells from elsewhere in the body. But in some cases, the primary cancer is not known.

For example, there is also secondary tumor growth in the neck called the ‘metastatic squamous neck cancer with occult primary’. It is a condition in which cells of squamous cancer spread to the lymph nodes in the neck but the primary cancer (where it first started) is not known. And if the primary cancer cannot be identified, it is usually more difficult to treat!