In the United States, about 60,000 people are diagnosed with kidney cancer every year, representing between 4% and 5% of all cancers diagnosed. When kidney tumors are detected at an early stage, a large majority of patients achieve long-term survival. According to the National Cancer Institute, the 5-year survival rate is 78% following a kidney cancer diagnosis.
Types of Kidney Cancer
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common kidney cancer. RCC usually develops as a single tumor in one kidney, but it may develop as two or more tumors and can affect both kidneys. This cancer typically begins in the lining of very small tubes in the kidney called renal tubules. There are several types of RCC, with the most common being clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Collectively, RCC accounts for accounts for 85% to 90% of all adult kidney cancers.
Other, less common types of kidney cancer include:
- Transitional cell cancer, also known as urothelial carcinoma, represents about 7% of kidney cancers. It usually begins in the area where the ureter and the kidney meet. This area is called the renal pelvis.
- Renal sarcoma is a rare type of kidney cancer, accounting for about 1% of primary kidney cancers. It begins in the blood vessels and connective tissues in the kidneys.
- Wilms tumor, also called nephroblastoma, is a kidney cancer that almost always happens in children. It affects just 0.2% of adults.
Kidney Cancer Symptoms
Most early symptoms of kidney cancer are subtle or absent. Contact your primary care doctor or clinician if you experience any of the following:
- Blood in the urine that looks pink, red or cola-colored and may come and go
- Constant pain in your back, side or flank below the ribs
- A lump or fullness in your abdomen or side
Other early kidney cancer symptoms include:
- Unplanned weight loss or a poor appetite
- Fatigue that does not improve with rest
- Low-grade fevers or night sweats without infection
Symptoms change as tumors grow. Small tumors are often silent and appear on ultrasound, CT or MRI done for another reason. As tumors enlarge, renal cell carcinoma symptoms may include pain, visible blood in urine or a palpable mass.
Kidney Cancer Risk Factors
Kidney cancer can occur in younger or older adults, but is most common between the ages of 65 and 74. Men are twice as likely as women to develop kidney cancer. Risk factors include:
- Smoking
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Certain inherited syndromes (such as von Hippel–Lindau)
- Long-term dialysis
- Occupational exposures (trichloroethylene)
- Family history
- Prior kidney disease
If you have these risks and notice signs of kidney cancer or renal cell carcinoma symptoms, schedule an evaluation promptly.
Diagnosing Kidney Cancer
If you have a history of kidney stones and kidney cancer risk concerns, do not ignore new blood in urine or flank pain. Kidney stones and kidney cancer can share similar symptoms, so imaging is important to tell them apart. We use the following to diagnose kidney cancer.
- Urinalysis: Looks for blood in the urine and rules out infection.
- Blood tests: Checks kidney function, blood counts and calcium levels
- Imaging: Ultrasound detects a mass. CT or MRI defines the tumor and nearby structures. Chest imaging looks to see if the cancer has spread.
- Biopsy: A needle biopsy in selected cases confirms the diagnosis or guides targeted therapy.
We explain each step, review results with you and act quickly if symptoms of kidney cancer suggest urgent treatment.
Kidney Cancer Treatment
We focus on you. Our team manages pain, anemia, fatigue and nutrition while we plan treatment.
In the past, the most common approach to treating kidney cancer was to remove the entire kidney. As diagnostic imaging technologies like CT have become more sophisticated and more widely used, more kidney tumors are being identified at an early stage. Physicians are increasingly able to treat just the tumor rather than removing a kidney.
Treatment options vary, depending on each patient’s individual disease and health issues. An organ-sparing approach to treating kidney cancer can help a patient avoid some long-term potential side effects, especially for patients who already suffer from diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular disease.
The Prostate and Urologic Cancer Program offers a full range of surgical and interventional techniques for treating kidney tumors while preserving as much healthy organ tissue as possible. Our kidney cancer specialists perform a high volume of kidney cancer procedures.
- Ablation Treatment
- Percutaneous Cryoablation
- Laparoscopic Cryoablation
- Open Cryoablation
- Surgical Treatment
- Partial Nephrectomy
- Radical Nephrectomy
- Care for Metastic Kidney Cancer
- Targeted Chemotherapy
- Radiation Therapy
- Palliative Embolization
- Osteoplasty
Clinical Trials for Kidney Cancer
Drug therapy for kidney cancer is a rapidly evolving field, and there are many promising targeted drug therapies in development. Our urologic cancer specialists at are actively involved in national trials to evaluate new medications. Certain drug therapies are only available through these investigational studies. To find out more, view our list of kidney cancer clinical trials.
Genetic Screening
While most cases of kidney cancer are “spontaneous,” some are associated with specific genetic syndromes. Individuals with a strong family history of kidney tumors may benefit from genetic counseling through our Cancer Genetics Screening Program.
