ABSTRACT

Since 1950, there has been a 126% increase in the incidence of renal cell carcinoma in the United States (3). Between 1975 and 1995, the incidence has been increasing by 2.3% annually among white and 3.9% among black men (4). A raising trend has been observed worldwide and is due in part to the widespread use of new and improved noninvasive abdominal imaging modalities, such as ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (3-14). The number of abdominal radiological examinations has been increasing steadily in the last two decades and almost doubled between 1986 and 1994 (4).