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Kidney Mass Removal

A kidney mass (not to be mistaken for kidney stone) is difficult to describe and classify in the medical sense. It is referred to widely and generally as just "a quantity of matter." This makes it possible for just about any formation in the kidney to be termed a mass. This makes diagnosis of a kidney mass a challenge. Since the kidney mass can often be a cancerous growth, this problem is not the nephrologist's alone; often oncologists are required to be part of the process of kidney mass identification and removal.

  1. Signs of a Mass

    • Traditionally, medical professionals use a triad of benchmarks in diagnosing a kidney mass. These signs or symptoms include back pain in the region corresponding to where the kidney meets the backbone; blood in the urine and the physician's ability to feel the growth. However, new advances such as imaging, scans and ultrasounds have made zeroing in on the actual problem much easier. Apart from these three signs, other symptoms of a kidney mass, especially if it is malignant, include weight loss that happens for no reason, fatigue, inertia, lack of interest in daily chores, fever without an infection or flu, and pain in other parts of the body, if the cancer has metastasized.

    Surgical Removal

    • In many cases, surgical removal is not warranted. For instance, simple or complex cysts, most abscesses and masses caused by infections need no surgery, and can be treated with medicines. Surgical removal becomes necessary when a mass is considered precancerous or could possibly lead to cancerous growth even though the mass is currently benign. Renal adenoma is one of the examples of this kind of mass. A renal adenoma is a tissue growth that is largely asymptomatic, and usually shows up inadvertently during other tests. This mass is easily removed by surgery. Another instance in which surgical removal becomes necessary is when you have a mass called a renal oncocytoma. This is also very similar to adenoma, in terms of symptoms and nature. It is also removed for the same reason--because it could turn out to be a malignancy later. Fibroma is yet another instance in which surgical removal is done. This is a condition that is difficult to distinguish from a malignancy, so the best way of tackling the mass is to remove it. From the time between detection and surgery, these masses are closely monitored and their growth pattern is observed.

    When a Mass is Removed

    • When a kidney mass is confirmed as being malignant, surgery is performed, but only after taking various factors into consideration. The most important criterion is the extent of its growth. The more localized the mass is, the greater the chance that surgery will remove the mass. In some instances, it may be necessary to remove the entire kidney to prevent metastasis.

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