Wilms' tumor surgery

Overview
Once a kidney tumor is found, surgery can find out whether or not the tumor is cancer. A sample of tissue from the tumor is sent to a pathologist, who looks at it under a microscope to check for signs of cancer. If the tumor is only in the kidney, it can be removed along with the whole kidney (a process called nephrectomy). If there are tumors in both kidneys or if the tumor has spread outside the kidney, a piece of the tumor will be removed.