Dr. Ankush Jairath
Urology
The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.
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Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
I am a 55-year-old man who had a partial nephrectomy three years back. A 2.7 x 3.14 inches mass was removed without a biopsy. It was found to be papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC). There was no further trouble until the previous year when a 0.55 inch mass has been detected near the same kidney but not attached to the kidney. As of my last CT, it seems to have grown to 0.62 inch. The urologist wants me to have an FNA (fine needle aspiration) biopsy. I fear this could spread cancer if it is cancer. What do you think? What else could the mass be if it is not cancer? Should I be afraid of the biopsy?
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
Fine needle aspiration cytology needs to be done to determine the nature of mass (whether neoplastic or benign). There is no need to worry about the spread of tumors due to manipulation of biopsy as these tumors do not spread via that, so no need to be afraid of biopsy. The mass can be infective or cancerous also. The tumor was initially very large, so partial nephrectomy in such a big mass, the residual tumor can be there, which has grown over two years to over 1 cm mass.
Patient's Query
Thank you doctor,
Are kidney tumors known to not spread during the biopsy? Should any special precautions be used during the biopsy? I thought maybe the surgeon could destroy it with ablation and not do a biopsy.
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
Even if for the surgeon to destroy it with ablation, the fact that it is a tumor needs to be proof first for which biopsy is necessary. Do not worry about the seeding of the tract as chances are very minute, but it needs to be done to establish the nature of swelling. There are no special precautions from your side. The person who is doing it will be doing it under CT guidance for more accuracy.
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Urology
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