A biopsy - if the doctor suspects the patient has kidney cancer an image-guided biopsy will be performed. A needle is guided through the skin into the kidney - the guidance system is either ultrasound or CT. A small sample of kidney tissue is removed and examined under a microscope to check for the presence of cancer cells.

A biopsy procedure increases the risk of infection and bleeding. There is also a rare chance that a biopsy could help the cancer spread to the area where the needle is inserted. Some doctors may not do a biopsy if they are fairly sure cancer is present, and proceed straight to surgery, thus avoiding the additional risks of a biopsy. Kidney biopsies are more commonly done on patients who are not thought to have cancer, or those who cannot be operated on.

A CT (computerized tomography (CT) scan - this is a medical imaging method that employs tomography. Tomography is the process of generating a two-dimensional image of a slice or section through a 3-dimensional object (a tomogram). Put simply, many pictures are taken and then put together as a 3-D image. Most patients will be given a dye to drink which shows up on the scan.

Blood and urine tests - these will be done to rule out any other possible causes of symptoms, such as kidney stones or an infection.

Ultrasound scan - sound waves are used to create an image of the target area. This scan can help the doctor identify any change in the shape of the kidney which could be caused by a tumor.