Kidney Cancer and Bladder Cancer Symptoms
Early-stage kidney cancer usually don’t cause signs or symptoms. Bladder cancer symptoms include:
- Blood in your urine (hematuria), though the blood may not be visible except in a lab test
- Frequent or painful urination
Diagnosing Kidney Cancer and Bladder Cancer
Your doctor may conduct a physical exam to detect signs of kidney cancer or bladder cancer. If anything appears unusual, you may need further tests to make or confirm a diagnosis. We assess symptoms and diagnose kidney cancer and bladder cancer using:
Imaging tests
Your doctor may order one or more tests that create detailed pictures of your organs, including:
- Computed tomography (CT): We take many X-rays from different angles to produce cross-sections of specific areas.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): This procedure uses magnetic fields and radio waves to generate images.
- Ultrasound: We use high-frequency sound waves to produce images of structures in your body.
Other diagnostic procedures
We may also perform the following procedures to make or confirm a diagnosis:
- Cystoscopy (or bladder scope): We use a thin, flexible tube to see inside parts of the urinary tract.
- Biopsy: We remove tissue or sometimes fluid from the affected area and examine it under a microscope to check for signs of cancer.
- Urinalysis and urine cytology: These lab tests check for blood and other substances in a urine sample.
- Blood tests for bladder cancer: Bladder cancer can affect the levels of cells and certain chemicals in your blood. We may perform tests to check your blood chemistry or complete blood count (CBC).
- Molecular tissue testing for bladder cancer: We analyze DNA in a tissue sample to find tumor-specific genes, proteins and other elements that can indicate bladder cancer.
Kidney Cancer and Bladder Cancer Treatment
We offer the full range of kidney cancer and bladder cancer treatments, including:
- Surgical oncology to remove the tumor or affected organs. Learn more about cancer surgery.
- Radiation oncology uses rays of energy to shrink the cancer or remove traces of cancer that remain after surgery. Explore radiation therapy.
- Medical oncology, a group of treatments that use drugs and other substances to fight cancer cells. Read more about chemotherapy and other medical oncology.
- Supportive care may include assistance from nurse navigators and social workers, along with therapies to reduce the side effects of treatment. Find out more about supportive therapies.
Advanced surgery for kidney cancer and bladder cancer
We can perform many surgeries using minimally invasive methods to help make your recovery faster and easier. These options include:
- Laparoscopy: We make small incisions in the abdomen and use a thin, flexible instrument with a camera on the tip to guide the procedure.
- Robotic surgery: Your surgeon uses a robotic system to assist in laparoscopic procedures. The robot allows us to operate using 3D vision and precise movements