Further tests for kidney cancer

Ultrasound scan Back to top

This test can be very helpful in diagnosing cancer of the kidney. It uses sound waves to build up a picture of the inside of the tummy (abdomen), including the kidneys. It’s a painless test and only takes a few minutes. Once you are lying comfortably on your back, a gel is spread onto your abdomen. A small device, which produces sound waves, is rubbed over the area. The echoes are turned into a picture by a computer.

Ultrasound can be used to look for changes in the shape of the kidneys, which may suggest there is a cyst or tumour. It can also measure the size and position of a cancer.

IVU or IVP (intravenous urogram) Back to top

This test shows up anything unusual in the kidneys or urinary system. It’s done in the hospital x-ray department and takes about an hour. A dye is injected into a vein in your arm, and it travels through the bloodstream to the kidneys. The doctor can watch on a screen how the dye passes through the kidneys and can pick up any problems. The dye will probably make you feel hot and flushed for a few minutes but this feeling goes away after a short time.

This procedure is often combined with a CT scan (see below) and is known as a CT urogram.

CT (computerised tomography) scan Back to top

A CT scan takes a series of x-rays, which builds up a three-dimensional picture of the inside of the body. The scan takes 10–30 minutes and is painless. It uses a small amount of radiation, which is very unlikely to harm you and will not harm anyone you come into contact with. You’ll be asked not to eat or drink for at least four hours before the scan.

You may be given a drink or injection of a dye, which allows particular areas to be seen more clearly. This may make you feel hot all over for a few minutes. It’s important to let your doctor know if you are allergic to iodine or have asthma,as you could have a more serious reaction to the injection.You’ll probably be able to go home as soon as the scan is over.

Cystoscopy Back to top

This test may be done if you have blood in your urine. It doesn’t look at the kidneys but is used to check the bladder lining for signs of bleeding. It’s usually done under local anaesthetic and takes about 20 minutes. A small, flexible, fibre-optic tube with a light at the end (cystoscope) is passed into the urethra|, leading to the bladder. This allows the doctor to look at the whole lining of the bladder and urethra. You may have some soreness or mild pain when you pass urine for the first time after the test. However, there are not usually any other effects.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan Back to top

This test is similar to a CT scan but uses magnetism instead of x-rays to build up a detailed picture of areas of your body.

The scanner is a powerful magnet so you may be asked to complete and sign a checklist to make sure it’s safe for you. The checklist asks about any metal implants you may have, for example a pacemaker, surgical clips, bone pins, etc. You should also tell your doctor if you have ever worked with metal or in the metal industry as very tiny fragments of metal can sometimes lodge in the body. If you do have any metal in your body it’s likely that you won’t be able to have an MRI scan. In this situation another type of scan can be used.

Before the scan, you’ll be asked to remove any metal belongings including jewellery. Some people are given an injection of dye into a vein in the arm, which doesn’t usually cause discomfort. This is called a contrast medium and can help the images from the scan to show up more clearly. During the test you’ll lie very still on a couch inside a long cylinder (tube) for about 30 minutes. It’s painless but can be slightly uncomfortable, and some people feel a bit claustrophobic. It’s also noisy, but you’ll be given earplugs or headphones. You can hear, and speak to, the person operating the scanner.

Image-guided biopsy Back to top

This may be done if you need to have a sample of tissue – a biopsy – taken from the kidney. A doctor uses an ultrasound or CT scanner to guide them to the area of kidney where the biopsy will be taken. This is known as an ultrasound-guided or CT-guided biopsy.

Before the scan, a local anaesthetic is injected to numb the area over the kidney. The kidney is then scanned to produce pictures on a screen. This helps the doctor to accurately guide a needle through the skin and into the kidney. The doctor draws a small sample of tissue into the needle before removing it. This sample will be sent to the laboratory to be examined under a microscope. You may need to stay in hospital for a few hours, or overnight, after this procedure.

Blood tests Back to top

Samples of your blood will be taken to check your general health, the number of cells in your blood (your blood count) and to see how well your kidneys and liver are working.

Chest x-ray Back to top

X-rays are often taken to check the health of your heart and lungs.

It will probably take several days for the results of your tests to be ready and this waiting period will obviously be an anxious time for you. It may help if you can talk things over with a relative or close friend.

You may wish to call one of our cancer support specialists on 0808 808 00 00 or to speak to another support organisation|.