A kidney mass, or tumor, is
an abnormal growth in the kidney
. Some kidney masses are benign (not cancerous) and some are malignant (cancerous). One in four kidney masses are benign. Smaller masses are more likely to be benign.
Are kidney lesions common?
Cystic renal lesions
are a common incidental finding on routinely imaging examinations. Although a benign simple cyst is usually easy to recognize, the same is not true for complex and multifocal cystic renal lesions, whose differential diagnosis includes both neoplastic and non-neoplastic conditions.
Is a lesion on the kidney serious?
If a kidney lesion is a solid mass, particularly one that picks up blood and thus “enhances” on contrast CT, it is
considered malignant until proven otherwise
. In the era of CT scan however, masses are found at a much smaller size than ever before.
What percentage of kidney lesions are cancerous?
About 20-30% of “suspicious” kidney tumors when removed prove to be benign! These benign growths include cysts, oncocytomas, angiomyolipomas, and mixed epithelial stromal tumors. Thus,
70-80% of
these “small” kidney tumors are cancers and fortunately the majority are “well behaved” (low grade) cancers.
What does a lesion on a kidney mean?
A renal mass, or tumor
, is an abnormal growth in the kidney. Some renal masses are benign (not cancerous) and some are malignant (cancerous). One in four renal masses are benign. Smaller masses are more likely to be benign. Larger masses are more likely to be cancerous.
Should I be worried about kidney lesions?
Some kidney masses are benign (not cancerous) and some are malignant (cancerous). One in four kidney masses are benign. Smaller masses are more likely to be benign. Larger masses are more likely to be cancerous.
How fast do kidney lesions grow?
Based on the model, the average growth rate of kidney tumors in the study was
2.13 cm/year
(SD 1.45 cm/year, range 0.2–6.5 cm/year).
Is a lesion and a tumor the same thing?
A bone lesion is considered a bone tumor if the abnormal area has cells that divide and multiply at higher-than-normal rates to create a mass in the bone. The term “tumor” does not indicate whether an abnormal growth is malignant (cancerous) or benign, as both benign and malignant lesions can form tumors in the bone.
Are most kidney lesions benign?
There are 2 major types of small kidney tumors, benign and malignant. Malignant tumors are cancers and have the ability to spread to other parts of the body. Although most kidney tumors are malignant and therefore cancerous,
up to 20% are benign
.
When should I worry about a kidney cyst?
You should call your doctor if you experience any of the symptoms listed above (pain in the side between the ribs and hip, stomach, or back;
fever
; frequent urination; blood in the urine, or dark urine). This might mean that you have a kidney cyst that has burst or become infected.
Can a tumor be removed from a kidney?
Most kidney tumors and kidney cancer are
cured with surgery
. Surgery involves removing the entire tumor in the safest manner for each patient, and can be performed through a variety of approaches including a more traditional open incision, laparoscopic surgery or robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery.
Can a CT scan tell if a tumor is benign?
Many internal benign tumors are found and located by imaging tests, including: CT scans.
How small a tumor can a CT scan detect?
Due to the physical limitations, however, the minimum lesion size that can be measured with CT is
about 3 mm
(24). Modern MR imaging systems demonstrate similar lesion detection limits (25).
Is a 2.5 cm kidney cyst big?
Kidney cysts are round, have a thin, clear wall and range in size from
microscopic to around 5 cm in diameter
. These cysts can be associated with serious conditions that lead to impaired kidney function, but usually they are what is referred to as simple kidney cysts, which do not tend to cause complications.
How do I know if my kidney mass is cancerous?
Some possible signs and symptoms of kidney cancer include: Blood in the urine (hematuria) Low back pain on one side (not caused by injury)
A mass (lump) on the side or lower back
.
How can you tell if a kidney tumor is benign or malignant?
Ultrasound
.
Ultrasound
can help find a kidney mass and show if it is solid or filled with fluid (kidney tumors are more likely to be solid). Different ultrasound patterns can also help doctors tell the difference between some types of benign and malignant kidney tumors.
