Renal cell carcinoma: screening, diagnosis, and prognosis

Kidney cancer is most often diagnosed incidentally at the time of radiographic imaging for other complaints. Although numerous improvements and greater use of screening measures have occurred in the setting of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), screening for this disease is usually only carried out for patients who have been identified as having one of the known genetic lineages linked with specific RCC subtypes. This article reviews key concepts in the screening, diagnosis, and prognosis of patients with RCC.