What is considered a small renal mass?

What is considered a small renal mass?

Small renal masses are contrast-enhancing renal tumors less than or equal to 4 cm. Active surveillance is defined as initial management including the monitoring of renal tumor size. The follow-up protocol most commonly used includes enhanced abdominopelvic CT scanning.

What is considered a large renal mass?

Every year in the U.S., more than 67,000 new cases of renal cancer are diagnosed, the majority of which are small masses (under 4 cm). However, large renal masses ≥4 cm still account for a significant number of cases.

What is the most common renal mass?

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common malignant tumour with a rising incidence of about 3% per year since 1975. The most common subtype of RCC is the clear cell RCC (synonym: common or conventional RCC) with 65% of renal cortical tumours.

Is a 2 cm mass on kidney big?

Now, if a mass is small, less than 2 cm, up to 20-25% of such lesions may be benign. The most common benign renal mass is called an oncocytoma. Oncocytomas have a typical appearance when large, but when small look similar to malignancy.

How fast do renal tumors grow?

The growth rate of renal masses in that study was 0.28 cm/year (range 0.09–0.86 cm/year). A somewhat faster growth rate was observed in the subgroup of patients with pathologically confirmed renal cancer (0.4 cm/year, range 0.42–1.6 cm/year).

What are the signs of a renal mass?

Symptoms

• Hematuria (blood in urine)
• Flank pain between the ribs and hips.
• Low back pain on one side (not caused by injury) and that does not go away.
• Loss of appetite.
• Weight loss not caused by dieting.
• Fever not caused by an infection and that does not go away.
• Anemia (low red blood cell count)

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.

How do they biopsy a kidney mass?

During a kidney biopsy, your doctor uses a needle to remove a small sample of kidney tissue for lab testing. The biopsy needle is inserted through your skin and is often directed using the guidance of an imaging device, such as an ultrasound transducer.

How serious is a renal mass?

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.

What does it mean when you have a mass in your kidney?

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.

What is a renal mass and what is a localized renal tumor?

What is a Renal Mass and What is a Localized Renal Tumor? The word renal means kidney. The words “tumor” and “mass” mean abnormal growths in the body. 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.

How big of a renal mass is too small for surgery?

At Urologic Surgeons of Washington, most renal masses less than 2.5 cm are followed for a period of time and not automatically treated. This threshold is sometimes even higher if surgery would be unsafe for a certain patient.

What are the treatment options for small renal masses?

1 Active surveillance (AS) Active surveillance is the least invasive treatment for small, localized renal masses. Your healthcare provider will help you decide if this is a good choice for you. 2 Partial nephrectomy and radical nephrectomy. Nephrectomy is a surgical procedure to remove all or part of the kidney. 3 Ablation.