Introduction. In 2017 in the USA about 5% in men and 3% in women newly diagnosed cases of malignant tumors were kidney and renal pelvis cancer. Aim. Kidney cancer in adults includes malignant tumors derived from kidney parenchyma and renal pelvis. The dominating types are kidney parenchyma, and mainly renal cell carcinomas Material and methods. This review was performed according to systematic literature search of three major bibliographic databases (Scopus, PubMed, and Cochran). Results. Imaging studies play a very important role in kidney cancer. They allow one to assess the clinical stage, justify the extent of surgery and have an impact on the prognosis. Conclusion. The field for research involves the use of magnetic resonance and positron emission tomography in diagnosing kidney changes.