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Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

Living With Cancer

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Factors that can increase the risk of kidney cancer include:

  • Older age. Your risk of fkidney cancer increases as you age.
  • Smoking. Smokers have a greater risk of kidney cancer than nonsmokers do. The risk decreases after you quit.
  • Obesity. People who are obese have a higher risk of kidney cancer than do people who are considered average weight.
  • High blood pressure (hypertension). High blood pressure increases your risk of kidney cancer.
  • Treatment for kidney failure. People who receive long-term dialysis to treat chronic kidney failure have a greater risk of developing kidney cancer.
  • Von Hippel-Lindau disease. People with this inherited disorder are likely to develop several kinds of tumors, including, in some cases, kidney cancer.
  • Hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma. Having this inherited condition makes it more likely you'll develop one or more kidney cancers.
Preparing for your appointment Causes
References
  1. Kidney cancer. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/kidney.pdf. Accessed June 26, 2013.
  2. Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-4/0/1709/0.html. Accessed June 26, 2013.
  3. What you need to know about kidney cancer. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/kidney/allpages/print. Accessed June 26, 2013.
  4. Distress management. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/distress.pdf. Accessed June 26, 2013.
  5. Wein AJ, et al. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 10th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1445/0.html. Accessed June 26, 2013.
  6. Proleukin (prescribing information). San Diego, Calif.: Prometheus Laboratories Inc.; 2012. http://www.proleukin.com/mrcc. Accessed June 26, 2013.
  7. Castle EP (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Phoenix/Scottsdale, Ariz. July 12, 2013.
  8. Cancer Facts & Figures 2013. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/research/cancerfactsstatistics/cancerfactsfigures2013/index. Accessed July 30, 2013.
  9. Cancer Facts & Figures 2012. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/research/cancerfactsstatistics/cancerfactsfigures2012/index. Accessed July 30, 2013.
  10. Cancer Facts & Figures 2011. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/research/cancerfactsstatistics/cancerfactsfigures2011/index. Accessed July 30, 2013.
  11. Cancer Facts & Figures 2010. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/research/cancerfactsstatistics/cancerfactsfigures2010/index. Accessed July 30, 2013.
  12. Golden AK. Decision Support System. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 30, 2013.
DS00360 Aug. 16, 2013

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