Evaluation Renal Masses

What are renal masses?

Renal masses, or kidney masses, are abnormal growths within the kidneys, the pair of small organs that clean your blood and convert waste products into urine. There are several types of renal masses, including: 

Benign renal tumors

About 25% of renal tumors are benign (noncancerous). Benign renal tumors are localized to the kidneys. Generally, smaller masses are more likely to be benign.

Renal cell carcinomas

Renal cell carcinomas are the most common kind of malignant (cancerous) kidney tumors. They appear within the lining of the kidney tubules (tubes inside the kidneys).  

Wilms’ tumors

A Wilms’ tumor is a rare kidney cancer affecting children, usually appearing at ages 3-4.

With the advanced evaluation of renal masses, your Gulf Coast Urology specialist can accurately identify the type of kidney tumor and create a treatment plan. 

When might I need an evaluation of renal masses?

Renal masses rarely cause obvious symptoms, but very large or aggressive masses may cause symptoms like:

• Fever
• Blood in your urine
• Ongoing low back or hip area pain
• Poor appetite and weight changes
• Tiredness

If you have some of these symptoms, it could be a kidney mass or another issue like kidney stones so that an evaluation can give you answers. 

Renal masses are often incidental findings, in which you were testing for another issue or having a routine screening, but a mass appeared that requires a closer look. 

How does the evaluation of renal masses work? 

Your Gulf Coast Urology specialist conducts a physical exam and usually requests a urinalysis and blood tests to identify or rule out problems contributing to your issue. 

MRI or CT scans are often helpful in analyzing renal tumors' size, structure, and location. Your specialist can often accurately predict whether a mass is cancerous with an imaging test; however, you need a biopsy to definitively check a mass for cancer. 

A biopsy is a simple, minimally invasive procedure in which your urologist extracts a tiny sample of the mass. They then test the tissue sample in the medical lab to identify the type of cells and determine whether it’s cancerous.  

Evaluation of renal masses gives you answers and allows your Gulf Coast Urology specialist to create an action plan that works for your unique needs. Schedule an appointment by calling the urology experts in the Houston office or clicking the online booking tool today.