Saturday, February, 11, 2012

Cancer - renal pelvis or ureter

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Transitional cell cancer of the renal pelvis or ureter


Symptoms
  • Back pain, located where ribs and spine meet
  • Bloody urine
  • Burning, pain, or discomfort with urination
  • Dark, rust-colored, or brown urine
  • Fatigue
  • Flank pain
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Urinary frequency or urgency

Signs and tests

The health care provider will perform a physical exam, and examine your belly area (abdomen). In rare cases, this may reveal an enlarged kidney.

  • Urinalysis may show blood in the urine.
  • A complete blood count (CBC) may show anemia.
  • Urine cytology (microscopic examination of cells) taken during a cystoscopy or urine clean catch sample may reveal cancer cells.

The following tests may be done:

  • Abdominal CT scan
  • Intravenous pyelogram (IVP)
  • Kidney ultrasound
  • MRI of abdomen
  • Renal scan

These tests may reveal a tumor or show that the cancer has spread from the kidneys.


Review Date: 06/02/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)