NCCN Guidelines for Patients
Kidney Cancer, Version 1.2017
Imaging tests | Blood tests
An ultrasound is a test that uses sound waves to take
pictures of the inside of the body.
See Figure 8
This test can show if there is a mass in your kidneys.
It can also show if the mass is solid or fluid-filled.
Kidney cancer tumors are more likely to be solid.
For this test, you will need to lie down on an exam
table. A gel will be spread on the area of skin
near your kidneys. Next, your doctor will place the
ultrasound probe on your skin and guide it back and
forth in the gel. The probe sends out sound waves
that bounce off organs and tissues to make echoes.
The probe also picks up the echoes. A computer
uses the echoes to make a picture that is shown on a
Ureteroscopy uses a thin, tube-shaped tool called a
scope that is inserted into your body to take pictures.
Ureteroscopy is not used for kidney cancer. But, this
imaging test may be used if your doctor suspects
TCC or bladder cancer.
One end of the scope has a small light and camera
lens to see inside your body. It allows your doctor
to view your ureters and the middle part of your
kidneys, called the renal pelvis. For this test, the
scope will be inserted through your urethra. It will
then be passed through your bladder, a ureter, and
then into the renal pelvis of a kidney.
Doctors test blood to look for signs of disease and
assess your general health. These tests are not used
to confirm (diagnose) kidney cancer. But, abnormal
results may signal there’s a problem with your
kidneys or other organs. Abnormal results may be
caused by kidney cancer or other health conditions.
For a blood test, your doctor will insert a needle into
a vein to remove a sample of blood. Blood is often
removed from a vein in the arm. The needle may
bruise your skin and you may feel dizzy afterward.
The blood sample will then be sent to a lab for
testing. The blood tests used for kidney cancer are
A CBC (
ount) measures the number
of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Your doctor will want to know if you have enough red
blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body,
white blood cells to fight infections, and platelets to
CBC test results are often abnormal in people with
kidney cancer. Having a low number of red blood
cells, called anemia, is common in people with
kidney cancer. Your blood counts may be abnormal—
too low or too high—because of kidney cancer or
another health problem.
Blood chemistry tests
Blood chemistry tests measure the levels of the
chemicals in your blood. Chemicals in your blood
come from your liver, bones, and other organs and
tissues. Your kidneys filter excess chemicals and
waste out of your blood.
Doctors use blood chemistry tests to assess if certain
organs and body systems are working well. Abnormal
levels of certain chemicals can be a sign that your
kidneys aren’t working well. Abnormal levels—too
high or too low—may also be a sign that cancer has
spread to other parts of your body.