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Causes of kidney cancer

Kidney cancer is more common in men than in women. It is most often found in people over 50 years of age. There is no single cause of kidney cancer, but some factors increase the risk of developing it:

  • smoking
  • being overweight or obese
  • genetic conditions, such as von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome
  • long-term dialysis

Some studies have suggested that having high blood pressure increases a person's risk of getting kidney cancer but the research isn't clear. Some people develop kidney cancer without any of these risk factors.

More information on the risk factors for kidney cancer in the Canadian Cancer Encyclopedia.

Last modified on:  27 January 2012

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