Renal cell carcinoma as an incidental finding.

We reviewed the manner of presentation and tumor stage in 56 consecutive patients with renal cell carcinoma treated surgically between 1961 and 1973 (group 1) and compared them to 46 patients treated similarly between 1980 and 1984 (group 2). In group 1, 7 cases (13 per cent) were discovered incidentally compared to 22 cases (48 per cent) in group 2. The tumor stage was lower in the incidentally discovered cases than in cases when the diagnosis was suspected. The 5-year survival rates of the incidental cases in group 1 tended to be better. Routine use of excretory urography, computerized tomography, ultrasound, bone scans and other effective diagnostic studies has led to earlier diagnosis, lower stage and possibly better survival in incidentally found cases of renal cell carcinoma than in cases when the diagnosis was suspected.