Renal malignancies occur most frequently in male patients, and the main risk group includes men over 45 years of age and women between 55 and 74 years of age. Kidney cancer is a dangerous type of neoplasm due to the fact that symptoms may appear late in the disease, preventing early diagnosis and effective treatment.

Renal cancer is an absolutely asymptomatic disease, detected accidentally during an abdominal ultrasound performed for other reasons. The first symptom in patients with advanced renal cancer is usually hematuria, and the first diagnostic step is ultrasound of the abdominal cavity and pelvis. If the ultrasound raises the suspicion of a kidney tumor, a computed tomography should be performed, which is usually a conclusive examination. Some patients require magnetic resonance imaging.

Benign renal tumors usually require only consultations with an urologist and follow-up, only in some cases surgery is necessary. Potentially malignant lesions require surgical treatment. Tumors with a diameter of up to 4 cm can usually be removed while sparing the kidney, tumors of 4 - 7 cm in diameter may require removal together with the kidney. Cancer above 7 cm in diameter in accordance with international management standards require kidney removal. The above operations usually require a one-week hospital stay. All patients after surgical treatment of renal tumors remain under constant urological and oncological care and, if necessary, undergo additional treatment.

Qualifications for the procedures are carried out by Dr Piotr Dzigowski at the Hospital Consultation Centre.