Risk Factors and Diagnosis

Risk Factors and Diagnosis of Kidney Cancer

While the exact cause of kidney cancer is unknown, certain factors are associated with a higher risk of developing kidney cancer:

• Smoking
• Family history of kidney cancer
• Diabetes and metabolic syndrome
• Obesity
• Chronic kidney disease
• Von Hippel-Lindau disease or a family history of Von Hippel-Lindau disease

Average lifetime risk of developing kidney cancer is about 1 in 63, with men at higher risk than women. Some inherited conditions also have been linked to kidney cancer. For patients with these conditions, our specialists offer genetic testing, imaging and/or urine evaluation.

The diagnosis of kidney cancer can be made in several ways:

• Imaging that shows a solid or complex cystic renal mass
• Biopsy of the renal mass
• Removal of a suspicious mass by partial or radical nephrectomy