Kidney Cancer Screening and Diagnosis

Screening for Kidney Cancer

There are no recommended routine screening tests for kidney cancer. However, if you have a family history of the disease or a genetic condition that increases your risk, your urologist may recommend screening.

If you have symptoms that could indicate kidney cancer, talk to your urologist about whether screening is appropriate.

Kidney Cancer Diagnosis

The urologists at Englewood Health use the most sophisticated tools and techniques to accurately detect kidney cancer. First, your urologist may perform these tests:

• Physical exam: During an exam, your urologist will feel for any noticeable lumps in your abdomen.
• Urinalysis: We test a sample of your urine, looking for blood or chemicals that may indicate cancer.
• Blood test: Analyzing your blood helps us test your kidney function and can reveal anemia or other imbalances.

If these tests indicate a potential for kidney cancer, your urologist will recommend imaging tests and possibly a biopsy. You may have one or more of these tests to help confirm your diagnosis:

• Ultrasound: This test uses sound waves to create images of your kidneys.
• Computerized tomography (CT) scan: CT scans combine a series of X-ray images to form precise pictures of soft tissues throughout your body.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan: Using strong magnetic fields and radio waves, MRIs produce detailed three-dimensional (3D) pictures of your kidneys.
• Kidney biopsy: If we see a tumor on one of the imaging tests, we may recommend a biopsy, but kidney biopsy is not performed routinely for diagnosis.