How is kidney cancer diagnosed?

And yes...yes...I do know to go to the doctor. Duh. We have an appointment, I JUST HATE WAITING and want to know what to expect. A 2.5 cm mass (not a cyst, he has those too) was discovered during a CAT scan he was having for his hernias.

A friend's husband's tumor was discovered during an ultrasound after he passed blood, then it was confirmed by the CAT scan...I'm assuming because he already was displaying symptoms and the tumor was much larger (8 cm) is the reason for the difference...

So what is done when it's obviously very early and discovered by chance? How do they diagnose?

Hey girl,

He will have to have a CT guided biopsy then.

If they are positive its solid off the CT, sometimes CT's aren't accurate in that depending on the patients size, the tissue interface etc.

But the next step would be the biopsy.

So sorry, hang in there....!!!

They must remove or biopsy the tumor. What happens next depends on the pathology report - if it is cancer, what kind, how advanced, etc. They may remove the kidney, do chemo, radiation, etc.

An acquaintance of mine was diagnosed with kidney cancer last year. I don't know the size of the mass, but it was discovered when he had painful urination and dark urine and something abnormal showed up in his urine test when he went to have that checked out. (We both volunteer for a medical agency, which is why we're so open discussing this kind of stuff.) He had to have his kidney removed but now he's 100%. He didn't have to get chemo or radiation because his oncologist felt that it was contained to the kidney and had not moved elsewhere.

My Mum was diagnosed with kidney cancer in May this year. Her first symptoms where extreme night sweats, weight loss... then she had 3 'bleeds' in her urine. She then went to the doctor (i wish she had have gone earlier she hid it from us) she did urine tests where they found a high blood count in the urine. Mum then had an ultra sound where they found a 5cm mass. At first thought they where going to take the kidney out then biopsy it to prevent it from spreading. She was then booked in for a ct scan where they found it had spread to her liver and lung. She had 3 small tumours approx 3 cm in the liver. and 'numerous' spots in the lung. Approx 6 weeks later no treatment was given because the incompetent doctors couldn't find the primary cancer after 3 biopsies and numerous tests!!! the tumours had grown heaps. There was no kidney left it was all tumor, one of the tumours in the liver had growth to over 12cm, and the spots on the lungs had doubled a multiplied. They tried her on a drug called 'sutent' which was a complete was of time (was too late by this point) It just made Mum sicker and did nothing to even slow the cancer down. Mum pasted away sept 7 aged 60. She was only sick four months. I hope this doesn't upset you it just what i went thru with Mum. Please contact me if you have any questions. xx

A biopsy must be done to diagnosed kidney cancer. My wife was diagnosed in oct.2003 with stage IV kidney cancer at that time there was not a lot of treatment options,but they have come a long way since then, she is taking sutent. Most but not all people do very well on sutent. She was giving less than one year to live,it has been four years now and she is doing great. However it has been a tough battle.The best advice I can give is to listen to your doctors and to FIGHT LIKE HELL. My prayers go out to you,as well as Charlie and his Mum.