The Yorkshire Kidney Screening Trial (YKST) investigated the feasibility of developing a full kidney cancer screening clinical trial. People taking part in a pioneering lung screening trial in Leeds were also checked for kidney cancer thanks to additional funding from Yorkshire Cancer Research. Patients who consented had an extra kidney scan immediately following the CT scan of their lungs; this added 10-15 seconds to the procedure.
Around six in 10 people with kidney cancer do not experience any symptoms, and they are often only diagnosed during tests for another condition or reason. This means over a third of patients are diagnosed at a late stage when the cancer is more difficult to treat. Just six in 10 patients with kidney cancer live for five years after diagnosis.
This trial was funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, led by researchers at the University of Cambridge, and delivered in partnership with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, the University of Leeds and Leeds City Council.
Read the outcomes from the Yorkshire Kidney Screening Trial.
Stewart GD, Godoy A, Farquhar F, Kitt J, Cartledge J, Kimuli M, Rossi SH, Shinkins B, Burbidge S, Burge SW, Caglic I, Collins E, Crosbie PAJ, Eckert C, Fraser S, Hancock N, Iball GR, Marshall C, Masson G, Neal RD, Rogerson S, Smith A, Sharp SJ, Simmonds I, Wallace T, Ward M, Callister MEJ, Usher-Smith JA. Abdominal Noncontrast Computed Tomography Scanning to Screen for Kidney Cancer and Other Abdominal Pathology Within Community-based Computed Tomography Screening for Lung Cancer: Results of the Yorkshire Kidney Screening Trial. Eur Urol. 2024 Sep 12:S0302-2838(24)02567-3. doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2024.08.029. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39271419.
Usher-Smith JA, Godoy A, Burge SW, Burbidge S, Cartledge J, Crosbie PAJ, Eckert C, Farquhar F, Hammond D, Hancock N, Iball GR, Kimuli M, Masson G, Neal RD, Rogerson S, Rossi SH, Sala E, Smith A, Sharp SJ, Simmonds I, Wallace T, Ward M, Callister MEJ, Stewart GD. The Yorkshire Kidney Screening Trial (YKST): protocol for a feasibility study of adding non-contrast abdominal CT scanning to screen for kidney cancer and other abdominal pathology within a trial of community-based CT screening for lung cancer. BMJ Open. 2022 Sep 20;12(9):e063018. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063018. PMID: 36127097; PMCID: PMC9490622.
Usher-Smith JA, Masson G, Godoy A, Burge SW, Kitt J, Farquhar F, Cartledge J, Kimuli M, Burbidge S, Crosbie PAJ, Eckert C, Hancock N, Iball GR, Rogerson S, Rossi SH, Smith A, Simmonds I, Wallace T, Ward M, Callister MEJ, Stewart GD. Acceptability of adding a non-contrast abdominal CT scan to screen for kidney cancer and other abdominal pathology within a community-based CT screening programme for lung cancer: A qualitative study. PLoS One. 2024 Jul 1;19(7):e0300313. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300313. PMID: 38950010; PMCID: PMC11216619.
