Renal (kidney) masses

Renal tumours are masses arising from the kidney.

They may be primary kidney tumours or metastatic tumours that spread from elsewhere.

In both dogs and cats, the main surgical treatment for a removable one-sided kidney tumour is usually unilateral nephrectomy — removal of the affected kidney and its ureter if needed.

For most renal tumours except lymphoma, surgery is the main treatment when the opposite kidney works well and staging shows the disease is removable. Renal lymphoma is different: it is usually treated with chemotherapy, not nephrectomy.