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Diagnosis
All kinds of illnesses are diagnosed in different ways. The ways to diagnose kidney cancer are as follows: imaging, most of these techniques are trouble-free, but a few require injection of a special “tracer” into the bloodstream. CT scans create a cross-sectional view that can detect tumors. There is MRI’s, ultrasound, Intravenous Pyelogram which involves injecting a dye containing iodine through a vein in the arm into the bloodstream; the dye collects in the urinary system. There is also chest x-rays to see if it has spread to the lungs or bones, urinalysis, blood tests, cytoscopy when a long, thin, optical scope is inserted through the urethra into the bladder to try to locate the site of bleeding. Physicians usually avoid performing any diagnosis with needles, for fear of causing more bleeding or other complications. These imaging studies are not 100 percent accurate in diagnosing RCC. Some benign tumors are present as solid renal lesions and may be misdiagnosed as renal cell cancer. The most common of these rare lesions are angiomyolipomas and oncocytomas. (http://www.oncologychannel.com/kidneycancer)
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