Can renal cancer be detected by ultrasound?

Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
Updated on December 20, 2024
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Ultrasound is a type of imaging examination that can observe the size, shape, structure, texture, and the presence of masses in the organs being examined. It can be used to determine if a patient potentially has kidney-related masses, such as differentiating between a kidney cyst and kidney cancer based on differences in shape and blood supply that malignant tumors typically exhibit compared to other conditions. However, using ultrasound to diagnose kidney cancer can be inaccurate, particularly in the early stages of the disease when ultrasound may not provide a clear view, and some complex cases of kidney cancer may still be indeterminate. Therefore, patients might consider undergoing an enhanced CT scan, which offers a higher diagnostic accuracy. Additionally, a kidney biopsy and pathological examination might be necessary for a definitive diagnosis.

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Kidney cancer thrombus

Tumor thrombus is one of the common complications of tumors, and refers to cancer cells in blood vessels or lymphatic vessels similar to blood clots, i.e., cancer cells clustering together, invading the vessels, and causing abnormalities in blood coagulation function, leading to disorders in blood circulation and abnormal coagulation with clustered cancer cells. Generally, the risk of tumor thrombus formation is very high, and patients with tumor thrombus have much worse treatment outcomes than those without. Renal cancer is also a tumor commonly associated with tumor thrombus. Once a tumor thrombus occurs, it indicates that the surgery might be staged quite late, and thus, its treatment results are also relatively poor.

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What are the early symptoms of kidney cancer?

Many cases of kidney cancer often have no obvious symptoms in their early stages and are not discovered until the tumor progresses. After the tumor progresses, symptoms may include hematuria, which can be intermittent, painless, and visible throughout its course. There may also be back pain and a lump in the abdomen, which is evident in about twenty percent of cases. Slim individuals might find it easier to detect such lumps. There are also some extrarenal manifestations including fever, weight loss, accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, anemia, hypertension, polycythemia, hypercalcemia, liver function impairment, etc. These symptoms might appear in the early stages. However, symptoms can vary from person to person.

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The difference between benign and malignant kidney cancer.

The incidence of kidney cancer is also considered relatively high, with over 95% of kidney tumors being malignant, and benign tumors being less common. The distinction between benign and malignant tumors is determined by their symptomatic expression and growth patterns, and they have different impacts on the body. Generally, benign tumors grow expansively or exophytically, have a slower growth rate, and have clearer boundaries with often a capsule surrounding them. The texture and color of the tumor are close to that of normal tissues. Malignant tumors, on the other hand, exhibit the opposite characteristics.

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Can kidney cancer patients eat eggs?

Patients with kidney cancer can eat eggs. Kidney cancer is a malignant tumor of the kidney, originating from the epithelial cells of the renal tubules. Although this disease is a malignant tumor, the patient's body still needs nutrients. Therefore, high-protein foods can be consumed by patients, and they should maintain a protein intake roughly the same as that of healthy individuals. Eggs are rich in protein, with each egg containing about seven to eight grams of protein. Kidney cancer patients can eat eggs without worsening their condition or causing the disease to spread. The folk saying that some foods are "stimulating" is not scientifically founded. Currently, there is no clear evidence in medicine to support the claim that eggs and beef are "stimulating."

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What are the symptoms of kidney cancer metastasis to the lungs?

Kidney cancer tumor cells are particularly prone to metastasis, with the lungs being one of the common sites for metastases. Once lung metastasis occurs in patients with kidney cancer, numerous symptoms can appear. Typical symptoms include coughing, scanty sputum, severe irritating dry cough, palpitations, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and even chest pain, as well as coughing up blood or severe hemoptysis. Therefore, patients with lung metastases from kidney cancer who exhibit these symptoms should seek medical attention promptly and undergo a lung CT scan. Additionally, patients may experience an increase in body temperature, fevers, weight loss, dizziness, anemia, and particularly fatigue. There may also be a loss of appetite and a general feeling of weakness, which should draw the patients' attention.