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About Kidney Cancer

What is Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer happens when the DNA in your kidney cells change. This causes the cells to grow too quickly, become cancerous and form tumors.

You have two kidneys, and tumors may form in one or both kidneys. Your kidneys are bean-shaped organs about the size of a fist, located behind your abdominal organs on either side of your spine. Your kidneys are important because they:

Filter waste from your blood
Eliminate waste, extra water and salt from your body as urine
Maintain your body’s balance of minerals necessary for healthy tissue, muscles and bones
Make hormones that control blood pressure

Types of Kidney Cancer

Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC)

The most common kidney cancer is renal cell carcinoma (RCC). About 90% of kidney cancer is this type, found in the lining of the filtering tubes in the kidney.

Non-Clear Cell RCC

Collecting duct carcinoma: Very rare and aggressive. Forms in the collecting ducts of the kidney. Found typically in young adults in their 20s and 30s. Usually has spread outside the kidney (metastatic) when diagnosed and is difficult to control.

Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC): Very rare and aggressive. Typically found in young people who have sickle cell disease or carry the gene. More common in males. Usually already spread outside the kidney (metastatic) when diagnosed.

Wilms tumor (nephroblastoma): Childhood cancer very rare in adults. More common in African-American children and in children with inherited conditions such as Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, Denys-Drash syndrome or WAGR syndrome.

Translocation RCC: Rare type recently identified in the last 20 years, caused by a mutation (change) in gene TFE3. Typically found in children and young adults. More aggressive in adults.

Unclassified RCC: Less than 1% of renal cell carcinomas cannot be classified, either based on their appearance or because they fit more than one subtype. Tend to be aggressive and complicated to treat.

Other Kidney Cancers

Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC): Rare and sometimes aggressive. Actually a bladder cancer that starts where the kidney connects to the ureter (tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder).

Renal sarcoma: Rare kidney cancer that starts in the soft connective tissue or blood vessels. May be caused by an inherited condition such as tuberous sclerosis or radiation exposure.

Metastatic kidney cancer: Kidney cancer that has spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body. When it spreads, kidney cancer usually goes to lymph nodes, bones, the liver, lungs or brain. Metastatic tumors are considered kidney cancer because they have the same cancer cells.

Benign Kidney Tumors

Benign kidney tumors are not cancerous. They will not spread outside the kidney. But they can get larger and cause problems, which is why they usually require treatment. The two most common types of benign kidney tumors are:

Angiomyolipoma (AML): The most common benign kidney tumor. Made up of fat, immature smooth muscle and blood vessel cells. Most often found in women with an inherited condition called tuberous sclerosis. Small AMLs may be monitored. Larger tumors usually are removed through surgery or interventional radiology procedures.

Oncocytoma: Benign tumors made of epithelial cells in the collecting ducts of the kidney. Do not spread but may grow to become cancer or cause other problems. Depending on the case, they may be monitored or removed through surgery or interventional radiology procedures.

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What Caused My Cancer?

This is a question people often ask when diagnosed with kidney cancer. The exact cause of kidney cancer is not always known.

For some people, cancer may be caused by health history. There are factors that can increase your risk of developing the kidney cancer, such as smoking, unhealthy weight, and high blood pressure.

For others, cancer may be caused by genetics. This means you have an inherited condition that puts you at greater risk for developing kidney cancer.

By looking at your health history and genetics, we hope to determine what caused your cancer, and what treatment will be most effective.

Genetic Causes

Inherited kidney cancer represents only 3-5% of kidney cancer cases. However, people with these genetic conditions are at a much higher risk for developing kidney cancer:

Birt-Hogg-Dubé (BHD) syndrome: Rare condition that affects the skin and lungs. It increases the risk of developing tumors, including kidney cancer.
Hereditary Leiomyomatosis and Renal Cell Cancer (HLRCC): Rare condition that causes benign tumors on the skin (cutaneous leiomyomas) and uterus (uterine leiomyoma). About 10-16% will develop kidney cancer.
Hereditary Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma (HPRCC): Rare condition that causes small tumors in the kidneys (usually type 1 papillary RCC).
Tuberous Sclerosis: Rare condition that causes tumors in the brain and other organs, including the kidneys (usually RCC).
Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome: Rare condition in which cancerous and non-cancerous cysts and tumors form in the body.

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About Kidney Cancer

What is Kidney Cancer

Types of Kidney Cancer

Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC)

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What Caused My Cancer?

Genetic Causes

About Kidney Cancer Resource Center

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About Kidney Cancer Resource Center