What are the tests for kidney cancer?

Urinalysis/US: The most typical tests to determine if a patient has a kidney malignancy are a simple urinalysis, which determines if there is blood in the urine, and an ultrasound, which can provide a nice picture of the architecture of the kidneys. Renal cell cancer usually presents with gross, painless hematuria.

CT scan: The best test for diagnosing kidney cancer is a ct scan of the kidneys with and without IV contrast. Mri and/or kidney ultrasound are also helpful studies. Urinalysis is also helpful.

Imaging: The vast majority of kidney cancers are found by imaging (ct scan or mri) either in symptomatic patients (flank pain, blood in urine, etc.) or fortuitously while investigating an unrelated problem.