Risks for kidney cancer
Some things can affect your risk, or chance, of developing cancer. Certain behaviours, substances or conditions can increase or decrease the risk. Most cancers are the result of many risks. But sometimes cancer develops in people who donʼt have any risks.
Smoking tobacco is the main risk for kidney cancer. Kidney cancer occurs most often in people older than 60. More men than women develop kidney cancer.
If you have a genetic condition that increases your risk for kidney cancer, you may need to visit your doctor more often. Talk to your doctor about your risk and if you need to have certain tests to check for kidney cancer.
Some of these risks canʼt be changed. But in some cases, there are things you can do to lower your risk.
The following can increase your risk for kidney cancer:
End-stage kidney disease and dialysis
Family history of kidney cancer
Contact with trichloroethylene (TCE) at work
The following can decrease your risk for kidney cancer:
Smoking tobacco
Smoking tobacco increases your risk for kidney cancer.
The more you smoke and the longer you smoke, the greater your risk. The risk of developing kidney cancer decreases with time after you quit smoking.
Learn more about how to live smoke-free.
Excess weight
Learn more about how to have a healthy body weight.
High blood pressure
High blood pressure (hypertension) increases the risk of RCC. Some medicines used to lower blood pressure also increase the risk.
Genetic conditions
A genetic condition is a disease caused by a change (mutation) in one or more genes. Having certain genetic conditions increases the risk of developing different types of cancerous and non-cancerous tumours of the kidney.
People with the following genetic conditions develop kidney cancer at a younger age than other people. These genetic conditions are not very common. They cause only a small number of all kidney cancers.
Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome
is an
Hereditary papillary renal carcinoma (HPRC) is an inherited condition in which people develop many papillary RCC tumours in both kidneys.
Hereditary leiomyomatosis renal cell carcinoma (HLRCC)
increases the risk of developing non-cancerous tumours called
Birt-Hogg-Dube (BHD) syndrome is a very rare genetic condition that affects the skin and lungs. BHD syndrome increases the risk of cancerous and non-cancerous kidney tumours such as chromophobe RCC and oncocytomas.
Tuberous sclerosis is an inherited condition that causes non-cancerous tumours to develop in the brain, spinal cord, skin, eyes, heart, lungs and kidneys. Tuberous sclerosis increases the risk of neuroendocrine cancer and kidney cancer.
End-stage kidney disease and dialysis
End-stage kidney disease is when the kidneys can no longer remove waste products from the blood, so a person needs a kidney transplant or dialysis. Dialysis is a procedure that takes the place of the kidneys and removes waste products from the blood.
People on dialysis for a long time can develop
People who have had a kidney transplant also seem to have a greater chance of developing kidney cancer in the other (non-transplanted) kidney.
Family history of kidney cancer
If you have a
Contact with trichloroethylene (TCE) at work
Trichloroethylene (TCE) is an industrial solvent mainly used to remove grease from metal. It is also sometimes used in dry cleaning. Coming into contact with TCE at work increases the risk for kidney cancer. The risk increases with higher levels of TCE.
Tall adult height
Research shows that the taller a person is, the greater their risk for kidney cancer. It isn’t exactly clear how being tall increases the risk.
Moderate alcohol consumption
Evidence shows that drinking alcohol (up to 2 drinks a day) decreases the risk for kidney cancer. However, itʼs important to remember that there is strong evidence that drinking alcohol increases the risk of at least 9 different types of cancers. Drinking alcohol should not be used to lower the risk for kidney cancer.
To reduce your cancer risk, it’s best not to drink alcohol. Find out more about alcohol and cancer.
Possible risks
The following have been linked with an increased risk of kidney cancer, but more research is needed to know for sure that they are risks:
- horseshoe kidney (a rare birth defect in which the tissue forming the kidneys does not divide into 2 separate kidneys)
- polycystic kidney disease
- kidney stones
- hepatitis C infection
-
hysterectomy -
diabetes - personal history of thyroid cancer
- arsenic in drinking water
- contact with radiation
- contact with welding fumes or cadmium at work
- contact with pesticides such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
- regular use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
No link to kidney cancer
Significant evidence shows no link between kidney cancer and drinking coffee or tea.
Understanding your cancer risk
To make the decisions that are right for you, ask your doctor questions about risks. Learn how cancer can be prevented and what you can do to reduce your risk.
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