Cancer: The sign in your pee that could mean you have killer disease

BLOOD in your urine is not something to brush under the carpet.

It could be absolutely nothing, but is unusual and so is worth at least keeping an eye on.

Spotting blood in your pee could be a sign of something wrong with an organ.

It can be a sign of cancer in your bladder, prostate or kidney and so is always worth mentioning to an expert.

People who are on certain medication could see it more regularly, with it being no cause for concern.

But regardless, if you see it in the loo, you need to double check it with a doctor.

Dr Richard Viney, Consultant urologist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, said: "Blood in the urine is a significant observation and should always be investigated.

"Where the bleeding is associated with pain the causes are usually infection or stones in the urinary tract.

"More worryingly is when there is blood in the urine with no pain.

"In this instance we need to rule out a cancer of the bladder, prostate (in men) or kidney.

"Individuals on blood thinning treatments are a greater risk of seeing blood in the urine but will still need investigating by your doctor."

Often it isn't anything serious, but it can be an indicator of kidney or bladder cancer, among other problems.

It could also be an infection, kidney stones or harmless leakage from the bladder area.

If you haven't got any other symptoms and its the first time it has happened, get in touch with your GP or call 111.

Kidney cancer, also called renal cancer, is one of the most common in the UK.

Generally it affects people in their 60s or 70s, and is quite rare in the under-50s.

If it's found early it can often be cured, but this may not be possible if it's diagnosed after it has spread beyond the kidneys.

Other symptoms can include:

• a persistent pain in your lower back or side, just below your ribs
• a lump or swelling in your side (although kidney cancer is often too small to feel)

The exact cause of kidney cancer is unknown, but some things can increase your chances of getting it, including:

• obesity – a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more (use the healthy weight calculator to find your BMI)
• smoking – the more you smoke, the greater the risk
• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• family history – you're more likely to get kidney cancer if you have a close relative with it
• some inherited genetic conditions 
• long-term dialysis – a treatment for chronic kidney disease where a machine does some of the jobs of the kidneys