How is kidney cancer (renal cell cancer) diagnosed?
In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination, diagnostic procedures for kidney cancer may include the following: • Blood and urine laboratory tests. • Intravenous pyelogram (IVP) – a series of X-rays of the kidney, ureters and bladder with the injection of a contrast dye into the vein — to detect tumors, abnormalities, kidney stones or any obstructions, and to assess renal blood flow. • Renal angiography (also called arteriography) – a series of X-rays of the renal blood vessels with the injection of a contrast dye into a catheter, which is placed into the blood vessels of the kidney, to detect any signs of blockage or abnormalities affecting the blood supply to the kidneys. • Other imaging tests (to show the difference between diseased and healthy tissues), including the following: • Computed tomography scan (also called a CT or CAT scan) – a noninvasive procedure that takes cross-sectional images of the brain or other internal organs; to detect any abnormalities
