Screening of Kidney Cancer

Executive Summary

Cancer screening employs the systematic application of various tests to detect cancer. The primary aim of screening for kidney cancer includes detecting the disease, early diagnosis, and therefore lowering the number of people who develop cancer. However, there are no routine screening tests available to detect kidney cancers. However, individuals at high risk of developing the disease should undergo medical check-ups at least once a year. Doctors recommend imaging tests like Computed Tomography (CT) scans, ultrasound or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans to check the interior of the body and detect the presence of any cancerous growth in the kidneys or any other body parts. The doctor may also suggest a blood and urine analysis as part of the screening to analyze the cause of the symptoms, thereby the disease condition.

Screening of Kidney Cancer

Medical screening is a strategy to detect potential health risks or diseases. A thorough medical screening helps in the early detection of disease conditions. Cancer screening is to detect cancerous growth in the body, even before the person starts to experience any visible signs or symptoms. Cancer screening employs the systematic application of various tests to detect cancer. Scientists are meanwhile, focusing on devising better screening options and tests to detect different types of cancers in a time-bound manner.

The primary goals of cancer screening are: 

• Early detection of disease thereby limiting deaths due to late diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
• Lower the number of people who develop cancer or any illness.

There are no routine screening tests available to detect kidney cancers. However, people at a high risk of developing the disease should undergo medical check-ups at least once a year. Doctors recommend imaging tests like Computed Tomography (CT) scans, ultrasound, or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans to check the interior of the body and detect the presence of any cancerous growth in the kidneys or any other body parts ^​1​.

For people with a family history of renal cell carcinoma, renal ultrasounds or CT scans may be used to detect early-stage cancer ^​2​. But CT scans have not been proven as a helpful detection tool to diagnose kidney cancers in most patients.

The doctor may also suggest a blood and urine analysis as part of the screening. This will help analyze the cause of the symptoms, thereby the disease condition. A kidney biopsy may also be recommended to examine any suspicious growth, lump or mass in the kidney region.

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