Kidney Cancer Diagnosis

You won’t find that kind of experience anywhere else in the Southeast. When you come to Winship for care, we’ll start by ensuring that you have a thorough and accurate kidney cancer diagnosis.

Yes, it matters where and how your renal cancer is diagnosed. Your kidney cancer diagnosis will help us determine which treatment options will work best on your specific cancer. Our genitourinary oncology team specializes in kidney cancer diagnosis and staging, and we have the technology available to provide the most detailed information about your cancer. And that means we’ll be better prepared to build a treatment plan that works best for you.

At Winship, we have the technology and expertise to ensure that every patient gets a thorough and accurate kidney cancer diagnosis. If you’ve had imaging tests at another facility, please bring them with you to your first appointment. We may order more tests to get a better look at your tumor. We know you’re anxious to move forward with treatment, but it’s critical to have a detailed kidney cancer diagnosis — and it won’t take long, we promise. In fact, imaging results are often available the same day or the next day.

World-class imaging. At Winship, we use top-notch magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to confirm your kidney cancer diagnosis. This technology provides more detailed images than computed tomography (CT), which is what many centers use. Our MRI technology gives our highly skilled team of radiologists — doctors who read and interpret imaging tests — better-quality images from which to make an accurate kidney cancer diagnosis. And because our radiologists specialize in genitourinary cancers, they are experts in diagnosing and staging renal cancer. Having a 360-degree view of your tumor is critical in your kidney cancer diagnosis, because biopsies are not routinely performed. Renal cancer treatment plans are typically created based off of radiographic evidence.

Core biopsy. A small number of patients will need to have a biopsy to confirm their kidney cancer diagnosis and determine which type of kidney cancer they have. When biopsy is required, Winship’s highly skilled interventional radiologists can collect a sample of the tumor using CT imaging guidance. This minimally invasive technique is used in place of surgery.

Besides leading clinical trials that are changing the way renal cancer is treated, Winship is also involved in research to find better ways to more accurately diagnose kidney cancers. We’re currently participating in a study using a novel tracer agent and positron emission tomography to detect renal cancers at earlier stages.