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Kidney cancer at a glance

Each year, there are about 4,300 new cases of kidney cancer in men, and over 2,600 cases in women. Kidney cancer accounts for just over two percent of all new cancers diagnosed in the UK.

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs on either side of the spine just above the waist. Their main function is to filter blood and rid the body of excess water, salt and waste products.

About four in five cases of kidney cancer affect the tubes inside the kidney that carry out this filtering.

A rare form of kidney cancer is Wilms tumour, which occurs in childhood. If kidney cancer is not treated, cancer cells can break away from the original site and spread to other parts of the body.

Click on the links below to find out more about kidney cancer.

• Risks and causes
• Signs and symptoms
• Detection
• Treatment

If you are a patient looking for information on kidney cancer, please visit our patient information website, CancerHelp UK.

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Risks and causes

The following things affect a person's chances of developing kidney cancer:

Kidney cancer usually occurs in people over the age of 50.

Kidney cancer is more common in men than women.

Smoking doubles the risk of developing kidney cancer.

Being overweight (and possibly having a diet high in fat) increases a person's risk of kidney cancer.

Some substances used in the workplace increase the risk of kidney cancer. These include asbestos, cadmium (a trace metal) and chemicals such as nitrosamines, and lead-containing compounds.

These include:

• A family history of kidney cancer

Kidney cancer can sometimes run in families. In rare cases, cancer may develop in both kidneys.

• von Hippel-Lindau syndrome (VHL)

In this extremely rare inherited disease, patients develop multiple types of cancers and are at greater risk of developing kidney cancer.

People with this kidney disease are at increased risk of developing kidney cancer.

Long-term kidney dialysis can promote the development of cysts (growths of soft tissue) in the kidneys. Kidney cancer can develop within a cyst, although most cysts are not life-threatening.

You can find out more about what 'cancer risk' means in the 'Understanding 'risk'' section of this website.

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Signs and symptoms

In the early stages kidney cancer does not generally cause any symptoms. Late symptoms include:

• blood in the urine
• low back pain unrelated to injury
• a lump in the abdomen in the region of the kidneys
• fatigue
• weight loss
• recurrent fevers not associated with colds or flu
• high blood pressure
• swelling of the ankles and legs.

People who notice any of these symptoms should see their doctor. The symptoms may have other causes but should always be investigated.

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Detection

A specialist may carry out:

• Urine analysis
• Blood tests
• Imaging tests
• Cytoscopy
• Intravenous urogram

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Treatment

Treatment will depend on the stage of the cancer. It may include:

The main treatment for kidney cancer is surgery to remove all or as much of the cancer as possible.

Radiotherapy is not routinely used to treat kidney cancer. Sometimes, however, the specialist may suggest radiotherapy as an alternative to major surgery.

Biological therapy is treatment with substances that the body uses to fight infection and disease. There are two main biological therapies used to treat kidney cancer:

• Interferon alpha
• Aldesleukin (Il-2)

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