diet
When and why do doctors monitor kidney tumors with imaging instead of treating them right away, and what does that monitoring look like?
Doctors often use imaging scans to watch kidney tumors before deciding on treatment. VHL disease can cause tumors to grow in the kidneys.
Doctors use imaging tests, such as scans, to watch kidney tumors before deciding whether to treat them.
Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease can cause tumors to grow in the kidneys. It can also cause tumors and cysts in other organs. Some of these kidney tumors can become cancerous. Detecting and treating VHL disease early is considered important. Because of this, care teams use imaging tests to look for tumors and cysts. The treatment a tumor needs depends on where it is. It also depends on how big the tumor has grown. Doctors aim to treat tumors while they are still small. The goal is to treat growths before they cause lasting damage. Treatment usually involves surgery, though some tumors are treated with radiation therapy instead. A doctor or medical team familiar with VHL disease watches closely for changes. This kind of care continues until treatment is needed. Your care team can explain what your imaging tests are checking for. They can also explain what your results mean.
Free guide
10 questions to ask your care team about Von Hippel-Lindau disease
You don't have to become an expert overnight — you just need the right questions in your pocket. Bring these to your next visit.
We’ll email you the guide and occasional plain-language updates. No spam; unsubscribe anytime. Educational only — not medical advice.
Still have a question?
Ask in your own words. Cairava explains it plainly and gives you questions for your care team. Anonymous — identifying details are stripped automatically. Not medical advice.
Ask anything about Von Hippel-Lindau disease
Ask in your own words. We’ll explain it plainly, map out what to expect, and give you questions to bring to your care team.
Sources
Written in plain language from the public health sources cited above and automatically checked for accuracy, reading level, and safe framing before publishing. Read about how we write and check this content.
This page is educational, not medical advice. Talk with your care team about decisions that apply to you. If something feels urgent, contact your care team — for emergencies call your local emergency number.
More about Von Hippel-Lindau disease
- What does it mean when VHL disease is called "autosomal dominant," and why does that matter for my family?
- What does the VHL gene do, and how does a change in it lead to tumors growing throughout the body?
- What is Von Hippel-Lindau disease, and why does it cause tumors and cysts to grow in so many different places?
- What is belzutifan (Welireg), and which VHL disease tumors has the FDA approved it to treat?
- What questions should I ask my care team when talking about treatment options for kidney tumors related to VHL disease?
- What kind of kidney tumor is most common in people with VHL disease, and how is it different from kidney cancer in people without VHL?