Jane Elliott BBC News Online health staff

Jodey felt tired all the time

When Jodey Sacre first developed pain in her lower back and feelings of constant fatigue she put it down to moving house.

She had recently stopped going to the gym and was gearing up for her wedding to husband Phill, a couple of months later.

But as the months went on Jodey, from Peterborough, began to feel worse. Sitting became uncomfortable and even her favourite pastime of shopping became a real effort.

It was not until she started to pass blood in her urine that Jodey started to worry, but even then she thought she was suffering from a urine infection.

Diagnosis

Not once did the 27-year suspect she had kidney cancer.

But within two weeks of her cancer diagnosis, Jodey was in hospital having her kidney removed.

I needed to have my left kidney removed Jodie Sacre

"I had gone for the results of my CT scan on my own because I just thought they were going to tell me that I had an infection.

"It was a huge shock. I could not believe it. I have never really been ill before this. I had never had any days off.

"But when they removed the tumour they said it was the size of a small rugby ball.

"They also had to remove part of the main vein to my heart, the vena cava, because they said this had been affected and had swollen up like a sausage.

"They said it had been a very aggressive cancer and I needed to have my left kidney removed.

"They also say I have a nodule in my right lung, but that it is very small and I am waiting to see what they will do about that."

Treatment

Jodey said she had been completely unprepared for her diagnosis and had read everything about it.

"When I first found out, I got all the bumf from Kidney Cancer UK, and that was good, because it told me all the different stages and was very informative. The Macmillan nurse was very good as well."

Jodey is now waiting to see what sort of treatment she will need for the cancer in her lung and says that until this is resolved she has had to put her dream to start a family on hold.

Symptoms May be mild or absent during the initial stages Blood in urine Lump in abdomen Dull unremitting pain in the side Persistent fever or weight loss

Sadly, Jodey is one of a growing number of kidney cancer statistics in the UK.

The incidence of kidney cancer in the UK has risen by 68% over the last 20 years and is now the tenth most common cancer in males and the 15th most common cancer in women.

Each year nearly 6,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with kidney cancer - one every 90 minutes.

No one knows the precise reason for the increase, but it is thought to be linked to a rise in obesity and smoking.

To raise awareness of the disease and its treatment, Kidney Cancer UK has launched a major campaign called 'New Light on Kidney Cancer'.

Kidney Cancer UK, Secretary and Trustee Mike Renshaw said: "Kidney cancer has remained in the shadows for far too long.

"Most patients do not want to be kept in the dark about their condition.

"They prefer to be informed and empowered so that they can share information and knowledge with their doctor and jointly decide on the best course of action in their specific case."

Kidney Cancer UK said that, because the cancer does not respond particularly well to chemotherapy or radiotherapy and in some cases, biological treatments, that patients need to be told about innovative new treatments such as vaccines and antiangiogenesis drugs which block the formation of new blood vessels that feed the tumours.