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Kidney Cancer Causes, Risk Factors, and Prevention
Learn about the risk factors for kidney cancer and what you might be able to do to help lower your risk.
This information focuses on renal cell carcinoma, the most common type of kidney cancer in adults. To learn about Wilms tumor, a kidney cancer of childhood, see Causes, Risk Factors, and Prevention of Wilms Tumor.
What causes kidney cancer?
We don’t know exactly what causes kidney cancer, but researchers have found a few risk factors that make a person more likely to develop it. But having a risk factor does not mean you’ll get the disease. Most people with risk factors don’t develop kidney cancer.
Researchers have also made great progress in understanding how certain gene changes (mutations) can cause normal cells to become cancerous. For example, some genes contain instructions for controlling when our cells grow and divide. Changes in these genes can lead to cancer growth.
Gene changes and kidney cancer
Changes in several genes are usually needed to cause kidney cancer. These changes can either be inherited from a parent, or they can be acquired during a person’s lifetime.
For example:
- Genes on chromosome 3p are important in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. One of the genes on chromosome 3p is a tumor suppressor gene called VHL. It normally keeps cell growth in check. When it is mutated, there is a higher risk of renal cell carcinoma. This mutation is sometimes passed in families, a condition called von Hippel-Lindau syndrome.
- Changes in genes such as MET, SETD2, NF2, KDM6A, and SMARCB1 have been associated with papillary renal cell carcinomas.
About 1 in 20 people with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have a hereditary syndrome that increases the risk of kidney cancer. Hereditary syndromes are passed down in families.
Tell your healthcare team if you have a family history of kidney cancer. To learn more, see genetic syndromes below.
Risk factors for kidney cancer
A risk factor is anything that affects your chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. Some risk factors, like smoking, can be changed. Others, like your age or family history, can’t be changed.
Having a risk factor, or even several, doesn’t mean you’ll get the disease. And many people who get the disease might have few or no known risk factors.
Researchers have found some risk factors that increase the chances of developing kidney cancer. Most of what is known about risk factors for kidney cancer comes from studies of people with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the most common type of kidney cancer.
Smoking
Smoking increases the risk of RCC. The increased risk seems to be related to how much you smoke. If you stop smoking, you can lower your risk.
Excess body weight
People who have excess body weight have a higher risk for RCC.
High blood pressure
The risk of RCC is higher in people with high blood pressure. This is true even for people who take medicines to treat their high blood pressure.
Advanced kidney disease
People with advanced kidney disease have a higher risk of RCC, especially if they need dialysis. Dialysis is a treatment used to remove toxins from your body if your kidneys aren’t working properly.
Hepatitis C
Studies show that people with chronic hepatitis C have a higher risk of RCC.
Workplace exposures
Many studies have suggested that being exposed to certain substances at work increases the risk for RCC. These substances include asbestos, trichloroethylene (TCE), and cadmium.
PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances)
These lab-made chemicals are used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, protective coatings, and other products. PFAS resist oils, stains, water, and heat. They are associated with multiple types of cancer, including kidney cancer. For more information, see PFOA, PFOS, and Related PFAS Chemicals.
Certain pain medicines
Some studies suggest that long-term use of pain medicines such as acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medicines may be linked to an increased risk of RCC.
This risk might be related to chronic kidney disease, which can happen with long-term use of these medicines. The link between these medicines and RCC is not entirely clear.
Prior chemotherapy
People who were treated with chemotherapy for childhood cancer, immune conditions, or a bone marrow transplant have an increased risk of translocation RCC. This specific type of RCC can be more aggressive and grow quickly.
Radiation to the kidney
Prior cancer treatment with radiation to the kidney may also be associated with a higher risk of RCC.
Being male
RCC is about twice as common in men as in women. This might be because men are more likely to smoke and have historically had a greater chance of exposure to cancer-causing chemicals at work.
Race and ethnicity
In the US, kidney cancer rates are highest among American Indian and Alaska Native people. They are slightly higher among African American people than among White people. The reasons for this are not clear.
Genetic syndromes
Genetic (hereditary) syndromes are passed down in families. About 1 in 20 people with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have a hereditary syndrome known to increase the risk of kidney cancer.
- If you have a family history of kidney cancer: Talk with your healthcare team about your history. Genetic testing for a hereditary cancer syndrome might be recommended.
- If you have a family cancer syndrome linked to RCC: It’s important to see your healthcare team regularly, especially if you’ve already been diagnosed with RCC. Some doctors might recommend CT scans or other imaging tests to look for new kidney tumors.
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People with von Hippel-Lindau often develop several kinds of tumors and cysts (fluid-filled sacs) in different parts of the body. People with VHL can have a higher risk of certain cancers, such as clear cell RCC, and other tumors. This risk depends on how the VHL gene is affected.
For more information, see Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome.
People with hereditary papillary renal carcinoma tend to develop one or more papillary RCCs. This condition is rare, and it is linked to changes in the MET gene.
For more information, see Hereditary Papillary Renal Carcinoma.
This condition is linked to changes in the FH gene.
People with HLRCC often develop smooth muscle tumors called leiomyomas (fibroids) of the skin and uterus (in women) and have a higher risk for developing renal cell carcinomas. These cancers are called FH-deficient RCC. They tend to be more aggressive.
Because these tumors can grow quickly, they often need treatment right away. Doctors often recommend people with HLRCC have screening tests for kidney cancer. These tests can catch tumors early, when they are more likely to be treated successfully.
People with this syndrome have a higher risk of multiple types of kidney tumors, including RCCs and oncocytomas. They can also have other health problems such as small benign skin tumors (fibrofolliculomas) and cysts in the lungs. This condition has been linked to changes in the FLCN gene.
For more information, see Birt-Hogg-Dubé Syndrome.
This condition can be caused by changes in the SDHA, SDHB, SDHC, and/or SDHD genes. People with these syndromes often develop neuroendocrine tumors called paragangliomas and tumors in the adrenal gland called pheochromocytomas.
Rarely, young people with hereditary paraganglioma-pheochromocytoma syndrome can develop renal cell carcinoma, called SDH-deficient RCC.
People with Cowden syndrome have a high risk of certain cancers, including breast, thyroid, colorectal, and kidney cancers. They can also develop very small flesh-colored bumps in the mouth and on the skin, which are often the most noticeable sign of Cowden syndrome.
This condition is linked to changes in the PTEN gene.
People with tuberous sclerosis develop many tumors in different parts of the body including the skin, brain, lungs, eyes, kidneys, and heart. These tumors are usually benign (not cancer). In the kidney, these tumors are most often benign angiomyolipomas. Occasionally, they can be renal cell carcinoma.
This condition is linked to defects in the genes TSC1 and TSC1.
People with this condition have an increased risk for some types of skin cancer, as well as melanomas of the eye, mesotheliomas, clear cell RCC, and possibly other cancers. This condition is caused by changes in the BAP1 gene.
RCC in people with this condition can be fast-growing and may need treatment right away.
Some people inherit a change in a gene that codes for hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that helps them carry oxygen. People who inherit this gene change from one parent have sickle cell trait. People who inherit gene changes from both parents have sickle cell disease.
Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is an aggressive type of collecting duct tumor that is most often seen in people with sickle cell trait. The increased risk of this type of kidney cancer is caused by changes in the SMARCB1 gene.
Can kidney cancer be prevented?
There is no sure way to prevent kidney cancer.
Some risk factors such as your race, ethnicity, and family history can’t be controlled. But you can do certain things that might lower your risk.
Avoid smoking. Cigarette smoking is responsible for a large percentage of kidney cancers. If you smoke, stopping may help lower your risk.
Get to and stay at a healthy weight. Excess body weight is a risk factor for renal cell cancer. Doing your best to stay at a healthy weight by being active and eating a healthy diet may help lower your chances of getting kidney cancer.
You may also be able to reduce your risk by:
- Limiting use of certain pain medications
- Avoiding exposure to certain chemicals
- Avoiding exposure to infections like hepatitis C
- Written by
- References
Developed by the American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
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Last Revised: November 2, 2026
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