title: Imaging of renal cell carcinoma: state of the art and recent advances.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the 13th most common cancer worldwide and accounts for 4% of all adult malignancies. Herein the state of the art and recent advances in cross-sectional radiological imaging applied to RCC are reviewed, including ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature search of peer-reviewed papers published by October 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In front of more conventional and widespread imaging tools, such as ultrasonography and computed tomography, an array of newer and attractive radiological modalities are under investigation and show promise to improve our ability to noninvasively detect renal tumors and its recurrences, accurately assess the extent of the disease, and reliably evaluate treatment response, particularly in the era of antiangiogenetic therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recent major advances in radiological imaging techniques have considerably improved our ability to diagnose, stage and follow-up RCC. Further studies are needed to evaluate the potential of most recent and still investigational imaging tools.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Agostino Gemelli Hospital, Catholic University Medical School, Rome, Italy. emilio.sacco @ gmail.com
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Totaro
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Addessi
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Racioppi
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gulino
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marangi
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Agostino
authors.forename: Pierfrancesco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bassi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents