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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To request an appointment, please call our office at 646-962-6363. Our phone staff are available to help you Monday-Friday, from 9AM-5PM (EST).

You can find the office contact information for each physician specializing in Kidney Cancer by visiting their profile listed on the bottom of this webpage.

If you'd like to learn more about our providers that specialize in Kidney Cancer, please review the Physicians & Faculty profiles listed at the bottom of this page.

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Physicians & Faculty

Dr. Christopher Barbieri, M.D., Ph.D | Cornell Urology

Christopher E. Barbieri

M.D., Ph.D.

646.962.6363
646.962.6363
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 Pathway X Enhanced, 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], NY State Medicaid, Oxford Freedom, Oxford Health Plans [Liberty], Oxford Health Plans [Medicare], Oxford Health Plans [Metro/Core/Charter], Rockefeller University-CoreSource, UHC Compass, UHC Medicare, United Empire Plan, United Health Care [Community Plan], United Healthcare Commercial, VNSNY CHOICE Medicare, VNSNY CHOICE SelectHealth
Brady Urologic Health Center
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

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
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

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