Weill Cornell Medicine Urology
Weill Cornell Medicine Urology
Kidney Cancer - Risks & Causes

Kidney Cancer - Risks & Causes

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  • 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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Physicians & Faculty

Dr. Joseph Del Pizzo, M.D.

Joseph J. Del Pizzo

M.D.

(646) 962-9600
(646) 962-9600
AETNA [Medicare], AETNA-HMO, Aetna-NYP-EPO/POS, AETNA-PPO, Aetna-Weill Cornell POS, EBCBS Blue Access, EBCBS HMO, EBCBS Mediblue, EBCBS PPO/EPO, Empire BCBS HealthPlus (CHP), Federal Medicare, NY State Medicaid, Rockefeller University-CoreSource, UHC Medicare, United Healthcare Commercial
The LeFrak Center for Robotic Surgery
Dr. Jim C. Hu

Jim C. Hu

M.D., M.P.H.

646.962.6363
646.962.6363
AETNA [Medicare], AETNA-HMO, Aetna-NYP-EPO/POS, AETNA-PPO, Aetna-Weill Cornell POS, Affinity Access, Affinity Health Plan, Blue Priority Network, CIGNA, EBCBS HMO, EBCBS Mediblue, EBCBS Pathway X, EBCBS Pathway X Enhanced, EBCBS PPO/EPO, Emblem Select Care, Empire BCBS HealthPlus, Empire BCBS HealthPlus (CHP), Federal Medicare, Fidelis Care, GHI, Health First, Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP), Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) [Medicaid], Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) [Medicare], Oxford Freedom, Oxford Health Plans [Liberty], Oxford Health Plans [Medicare], Oxford Health Plans [Metro/Core/Charter], POMCO, Rockefeller University-CoreSource, UHC Compass, UHC Medicare, United Empire Plan, United Health Care [Community Plan], United Healthcare Commercial, VNSNY CHOICE Medicare, VNSNY CHOICE SelectHealth
The LeFrak Center for Robotic Surgery
Dr. David Michael Nanus, M.D.

David M. Nanus

M.D.

646.962.2072
646.962.2072
AETNA [Medicare], AETNA-HMO, AETNA-PPO, Aetna-Weill Cornell POS, Affinity Health Plan, CIGNA, EBCBS HMO, EBCBS Mediblue, EBCBS PPO/EPO, GHI, Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP), Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) [Medicaid], Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) [Medicare], Oxford Health Plans [Liberty], Rockefeller University-CoreSource, United Empire Plan, United Health Care, United Health Care [Community Plan]
Dr. Douglas S. Scherr, M.D. | Weill Cornell Medicine

Douglas Scherr

M.D.

646.962.6363
646.962.6363
AETNA [Medicare], AETNA-HMO, AETNA-PPO, Aetna-Weill Cornell POS, CIGNA, EBCBS HMO, EBCBS Mediblue, EBCBS PPO/EPO, Empire BCBS HealthPlus, Empire BCBS HealthPlus (CHP), GHI, Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP), Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) [Medicare], Medicaid, Medicare, Rockefeller University-CoreSource, United Empire Plan, United Healthcare Commercial
Brady Urologic Health Center
Dr. Scott T. Tagawa, M.D., MS

Scott T. Tagawa

M.D.

646.962.2072
646.962.2072
AETNA [Medicare], AETNA-HMO, AETNA-PPO, Aetna-Weill Cornell POS, Affinity Access, Affinity Health Plan, Blue Priority Network, CIGNA, EBCBS HMO, EBCBS Mediblue, EBCBS Pathway X, EBCBS PPO/EPO, Emblem Select Care, Empire BCBS HealthPlus, Empire BCBS HealthPlus (CHP), Fidelis Care, GHI, Health First, Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP), Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) [Medicaid], Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) [Medicare], Medicaid, Medicare, Oxford Freedom, Oxford Health Plans [Liberty], Oxford Health Plans [Medicare], Oxford Health Plans [Metro/Core/Charter], POMCO, Rockefeller University-CoreSource, UHC Compass, United Empire Plan, United Health Care, United Health Care [Community Plan], United Healthcare Commercial, VNSNY CHOICE Medicare, VNSNY CHOICE SelectHealth

Timothy McClure

M.D.

646.962.6363
646.962.6363
AETNA [Medicare], AETNA-HMO, AETNA-PPO, Aetna-Weill Cornell POS, Affinity Access, Affinity Essential, Affinity Health Plan, Blue Priority Network, CIGNA, EBCBS HMO, EBCBS Mediblue, EBCBS Pathway X, EBCBS Pathway X Enhanced, EBCBS PPO/EPO, Empire BCBS HealthPlus, Empire BCBS HealthPlus (CHP), Fidelis Care, GHI, Health First, Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP), Medicaid, Medicare, Oxford Freedom, Oxford Health Plans [Liberty], Oxford Health Plans [Medicare], Oxford Health Plans [Metro/Core/Charter], POMCO, Rockefeller University-CoreSource, UHC Community Plan - Essential Plan, UHC Community Plan - Medicaid Plan, UHC Medicare, United Empire Plan, United Healthcare Commercial, VNSNY CHOICE Medicare, VNSNY CHOICE SelectHealth
The LeFrak Center for Robotic Surgery
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