Kidney cancer

Thursday 30 September, 2010

 Reviewed by: Assoc. Prof. Ian Davis, MB BS (Hons) PhD FRACP FAChPM
Medical Oncologist, Austin Health, Assoc. Member, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research

On this page: Causes of kidney cancer | How common is kidney 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 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 in front of the vagina. In men, the tube is longer and passes through the prostate 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 working kidney.

The female and male urinary system

Kidney cancer

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 is called transitional cell carcinoma. This type of kidney cancer begins at the point where the kidney joins the ureter. It is quite different from renal cell carcinoma. For example, the treatment for transitional cell carcinoma is similar to the treatment for bladder cancer.

Renal sarcoma is one of several other rare forms of kidney cancer.

Sometimes other cancers can spread to the kidney but these are not called kidney cancers and do not act in the same way as kidney cancers.

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 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.

Causes of kidney cancer

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 with phenacetin in large amounts, before it was banned, may still be at increased risk of kidney cancer.

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.

How common is kidney cancer?

In Victoria, more than 630 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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