In the past, kidney cancers were diagnosed only after they had grown significantly in size, leading to symptoms of flank pain, blood in the urine, or palpable mass in the abdomen.
Other symptoms include weight loss, fevers, persistent fatigue and swelling in the lower extremities.
With greater use of radiographic imaging such as ultrasound, CAT scan or MRI, most kidney cancers are now found incidentally (during evaluation of unrelated medical problems) by imaging studies.
A needle biopsy may be performed under image guidance in the case of small renal masses (<4 cm in diameter), as up to 30% of kidney masses of this size may not be cancerous. This is usually performed as an outpatient procedure and the risk of spreading kidney cancer along the needle tract is about 1 in 1000, and the risk of bleeding is very low.
Compete evaluation includes imaging of the chest, lungs and abdominal organs and lymph node to determine whether the cancer has spread beyond the kidney.
Would you like an appointment?
To request an appointment, please call our office at 646-962-6363. Our phone staff are available to help you Monday-Friday, from 9AM-5PM (EST).
You can find the office contact information for each physician specializing in Kidney Cancer by visiting their profile listed on the bottom of this webpage.
If you'd like to learn more about our providers that specialize in Kidney Cancer, please review the Physicians & Faculty profiles listed at the bottom of this page.
Treatment Locations
