This information has been reviewed by:
Associate Professor Ian Davis, MB BS (Hons) PhD FRACP FAChPM
Medical Oncologist, Austin Health, Assoc. Member, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
Use the navigation above and to the left to find the information you need, or download below a pdf of the Cancer Council's latest information on this cancer.
The kidneys are two kidney bean-shaped organs about the size of a fist. They are near the middle of the back, at either side of the backbone.
The kidneys are part of the urinary system. They remove waste products from the blood. This waste, in the form of urine, is carried from the kidneys to the bladder by tubes called ureters. The bladder stores the urine until it is full. Then it empties through a tube called the urethra.
In women, the urethra is a short tube immediately in front of the vagina. In men, the tube is longer and passes through the prostate gland and penis.
The kidneys also produce hormones, which trigger the production of red blood cells in bones, regulate blood pressure and control the body's calcium levels.
If one kidney is damaged or diseased, the other, healthy kidney is usually able to take up the extra work. A person is able to live quite normally with just one kidney.
Kidney cancer occurs when cancer develops in part of a kidney.
Most kidney cancers (around 85% of them) are renal cell carcinomas. Renal cell carcinoma develops within the kidney tissue. Rarely, both kidneys can be affected at the same time. A less common type of kidney cancer begins at the point where the kidney joins the ureter: this is called transitional cell carcinoma. Renal sarcoma is another rare form of kidney cancer, and other unusual types of kidney cancer also exist.
If cancer is treated in its early stages, the chance of the cancer being cured can be very good. If a cancer is not treated at an early stage, it may spread to other parts of the body. If the cancer is found after it has spread, treatment is more complicated, and the cancer is usually not curable. Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment for all types of adult kidney cancer are similar.
The exact causes of kidney cancer are not known. However, some factors are known to increase the risk of kidney cancer.
Smoking is a known risk factor. Up to one-third of all kidney cancers are thought to be related to smoking.
Overuse of pain relievers containing phenacetin is also a known risk. This chemical is not used in modern pain medicines. However, people who took pain relievers containing phenacetin in large amounts, before it was banned, may still be affected.
Being exposed to asbestos or cadmium may increase a person's risk of kidney cancer. This applies to some people who were exposed to these substances in their jobs - including construction workers, dockworkers, painters and printers.
People with a family history of kidney cancer are also at greater risk. This may be because they inherited a changed gene from a parent. Gene changes may also cause two rare forms of kidney cancer: von Hippel-Lindau syndrome and tuberous sclerosis.
Men are more likely to develop kidney cancer than women, for reasons that are not clear.
In Victoria, nearly 600 people are diagnosed with kidney cancer each year.
Kidney cancer occurs most commonly in people over the age of 55. It is more common in men than in women.
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