Kidney cancer, also called renal cancer, begins in the cells of the kidney. A large share are discovered incidentally on imaging. If you have been told you have a kidney mass, the first step is a careful review of that imaging.
Signs that can point to the kidney
- Urine that looks red, pink or brown
- Pain below the ribs that does not go away
- A swelling felt between ribs and hip
- Tiredness or anemia
- Weight loss or poor appetite
- Fevers that come and go without infection
Risk factors
Tobacco, excess weight, years of high blood pressure and close relatives with kidney cancer all push risk up. Some inherited syndromes (von Hippel-Lindau disease is one) and heavy, long-term asbestos or cadmium exposure at work also add risk. Risk increases with age, and men are affected more often than women.
How a kidney mass is evaluated
- Imaging
- Scans measure the mass, describe what it is made of and check for spread; ultrasound, CT and MRI each play a part. MRI helps when CT contrast is not an option.
- Lab work
- A blood count, kidney function tests (creatinine and BUN), urinalysis and urine cytology.
- Biopsy
- A thin needle sample, used when it will change the plan. Imaging alone is sometimes enough.
- PET/CT
- Available through Advanced Urology to help stage kidney cancer and check for recurrence.
Treatment
Surgery is the main treatment for most kidney cancers. Depending on the tumor, that may mean removing part of the kidney (partial nephrectomy), which keeps healthy kidney tissue working, or the whole kidney (radical nephrectomy). For advanced disease, targeted therapy and immunotherapy are options, and radiation is used in some cases. The plan depends on the stage, the type of tumor, and your overall health.
Your team
Kidney cancer is part of the practice of Vahan Kassabian, MD, Herman Bagga, MD, FACS and Marc Greenstein, DO at Sandy Springs. See also Advanced Urology on kidney cancer.