- The lifetime risk for kidney cancer is approximately 1 in 63 (1.6%), and the risk is approximately 2-3 times higher in men than in women.
- Other risk factors include obesity, smoking, exposure to industrial agents containing cadmium, hypertension, dialysis for kidney failure and a family history of kidney cancer.
- Inherited kidney cancers comprise just 5% of all kidney cancers.
- von Hippel-Lindau syndrome
- A mutation in the VHL gene leads to a greater risk for developing renal cell carcinoma, especially at an earlier age.
- There is also risk for benign tumors in the eyes, brain, spinal cord, pancreas and other organs.
- In addition, there is a greater risk for pheochromocytoma, a type of adrenal gland tumor.
- Hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma
- A mutation in the MET gene is associated with papillary renal cell carcinoma.
- Hereditary leiomyoma-renal cell carcinoma
- Mutations in the FH gene are associated with smooth muscle tumors (fibroids) of the skin and uterus in women, and an increased risk for papillary renal cell carcinoma.
- Birt-Hogg-Dube (BHD) syndrome
- Mutations of the FLCN gene is associated with benign kidney tumors (oncocytoma) and renal cell carcinoma.
- In addition, it is associated with skin tumors, particularly on the face, neck, and upper chest and cysts in the lungs.
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