Kidney Cancer: Diagnosis | Cancer.Net [PDF]

In a biopsy, the doctor takes a small sample of tissue for testing in a laboratory. If a biopsy is not possible, the doc

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Types of Cancer

Kidney Cancer

Kidney Cancer: Diagnosis

Kidney Cancer: Diagnosis Approved by the Cancer.Net Editorial Board (http://www.cancer.net/about-us) , 08/2016 ON THIS PAGE: You will find a list of common tests, procedures, and scans that doctors use to find the cause of a medical problem. To see other pages, use the menu. Doctors use many tests to find, or diagnose, cancer. They also do tests to learn if cancer has spread to another part of the body from where it started. If this happens, it is called metastasis. For example, imaging tests can show if the cancer has spread. Imaging tests show pictures of the inside of the body. Doctors may also do tests to learn which treatments could work best. For most types of cancer, a biopsy is the only sure way for the doctor to know whether an area of the body has cancer. In a biopsy, the doctor takes a small sample of tissue for testing in a laboratory. If a biopsy is not possible, the doctor may suggest other tests that will help make a diagnosis. This list describes options for diagnosing this type of cancer. Not all tests listed below will be used for every person. Your doctor may consider these factors when choosing a diagnostic test: The type of cancer suspected Your signs and symptoms Your age and medical condition The results of earlier medical tests In addition to a physical examination, the following tests may be used to diagnose kidney cancer: Blood and urine tests. The doctor may recommend having a blood test to check the number of red blood cells and a urine test to find blood, bacteria, or cancer cells. These tests may suggest that kidney cancer is present, but they cannot be used to make a definite diagnosis. Biopsy. A biopsy (http://www.cancer.net/node/24406) is the removal of a small amount of tissue for examination under a microscope. This is usually performed as an outpatient procedure using local anesthesia by an interventional radiologist. Anesthesia is medicine that blocks the awareness of pain. Other tests can suggest that cancer is present, but only a biopsy can make a definite diagnosis. A pathologist then analyzes the sample(s) and writes a pathology report (http://www.cancer.net/node/24715) describing the results. This report becomes a permanent part of the person’s medical record. The pathology report identifies the type of cell involved in the kidney cancer (see the Introduction (http://www.cancer.net/node/18969) for a list), which is important in planning treatment. Medical oncologists must have a pathology report before they use systemic therapy to treat metastatic kidney cancer. Systemic therapy involves using treatment(s) that affect the entire body. In certain cases, surgeons also may request a renal tumor biopsy to assist in planning treatment. However, if imaging tests show a solid and growing mass, then surgeons may remove the tumor first and then the pathologist will later provide the definitive tumor type and stage. The patient should carefully discuss with their doctor whether a biopsy is needed before treatment.

Imaging Tests X-ray. An x-ray is a way to create a picture of the structures inside of the body, using a small amount of radiation. Bone scan. A bone scan (http://www.cancer.net/node/24410) uses a radioactive tracer to look at the inside of the bones. The tracer is injected into a patient’s vein. It collects in areas of the bone and is detected by a special camera. Healthy bone appears gray to the camera, and areas of injury, such as those caused by cancer or a fracture (break), appear dark. This test is only ordered if the patient has bone pain or the doctor believes the cancer has spread to the bone. Computed tomography (CT or CAT) scan. A CT scan (http://www.cancer.net/node/24486) creates a 3-dimensional picture of the inside of the body using x-rays taken from different angles. A computer then combines these images into a detailed, cross-sectional view that shows any abnormalities or tumors. A CT scan can also be used to measure the tumor’s size. For patients being evaluated for a renal mass, a non-contrast CT scan is done before a contrast medium is injected. A contrast medium is a special dye that provides better detail on the images taken by CT scans. This dye is injected into a patient’s vein. If the renal mass is found to have the dye in it, then the diagnosis of benign angiomyolipoma can be made and nonsurgical treatment options may be recommended. Renal cysts will not take up the contrast medium, but renal tumors will. If patients have severe chronic kidney disease or kidney failure, then the contrast medium cannot be safely given. A CT scan of the urinary tract is called a CT urogram. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An MRI (http://www.cancer.net/node/24578) uses magnetic fields, not x-rays, to produce detailed images of the body. MRI can also be used to measure the tumor’s size. A special dye called gadolinium is given before the scan to create a clearer picture. This dye is injected into a patient’s vein. Intravenous pyelogram (IVP). A dye is injected into the patient’s bloodstream to highlight the kidney, urethra, and bladder when an x-ray is taken. The picture produced can show changes in these organs and in the nearby lymph nodes. This is test is rarely performed. It has been replaced with CT scans of the urinary tract, called CT urography, which provides much clearer and in-depth imaging of the urinary system (see above). Cystoscopy and nephro-ureteroscopy. Occasionally, special tests called a cystoscopy and nephro-ureteroscopy (http://www.cancer.net/node/24511) may be done for renal pelvic cancer. They are not often used for renal cell carcinoma unless imaging also finds a mass or stone in the bladder. During these procedures, the patient is sedated, while a tiny, lighted tube is inserted into the bladder through the ureter and up into the kidney. Sedation is giving medication to become more relaxed, calm, or sleepy. The procedure can be used to obtain tumor cells for examination under a microscope, to perform biopsies, and sometimes to completely destroy small tumors. After diagnostic tests are done, your doctor will review all of the results with you. If the diagnosis is cancer, these results also help the doctor describe the cancer. This is called staging. The next section in this guide is Stages (http://www.cancer.net/node/18975) . It explains the system doctors use to describe the extent of the disease. Or, use the menu to choose another section to continue reading this guide.

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