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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffFactors that can increase the risk of kidney cancer include:
- Older age. Your risk of kidney cancer increases as you age.
- Being male. Men are more likely to develop kidney cancer.
- 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.
- Chemicals in your workplace. Workers who are exposed to certain chemicals on the job may have a higher risk of kidney cancer. Some evidence suggests people who work with chemicals such as asbestos and cadmium may have an increased 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.
References
- Kidney cancer. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/kidney.pdf. Accessed Jan. 6, 2010.
- Pili R, et al. Cancer of the kidney. In: Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2008:1613.
- What you need to know about kidney cancer. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/kidney/allpages/print. Accessed Jan. 7, 2010.
- Distress management. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/distress.pdf. Accessed Jan. 14, 2010.
- Campbell SC, et al. Malignant renal tumors. In: 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 Jan. 9, 2012.
- Inlyta (prescribing information). New York, N.Y.: Pfizer Inc.; 2012. http://labeling.pfizer.com/ShowLabeling.aspx?id=759. Accessed Jan. 27, 2012.
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