What is kidney cancer?
Kidney cancer, also called renal cancer, is a type of cancer that starts in the kidneys. Cancer is a disease that happens when cells in your body grow out of control and form a tumor. The most common type of kidney cancer in adults is called renal cell carcinoma. The most common type of kidney cancer in children is called Wilms' tumor.
What are the symptoms of kidney cancer?
In the early stages of kidney cancer, you may not have any signs or symptoms. In later stages, you may notice some symptoms, including:
- Anemia (not enough red blood cells in your body)
- Blood in your urine (pee)
- Swelling in your ankles or legs
- Pain in your side that gets worse or does not go away
- A lump in your side or belly area
- Weight loss that happens without a reason
- Feeling less hungry than normal
- Fever that lasts for a long time and is not caused by a cold or other sickness
- Feeling very tired
Kidney cancer that has spread to other parts of your body (metastasized) can cause other symptoms, including:
- Trouble catching your breath
- Coughing up blood
- Pain in your bones
Other kidney or urinary tract problems can also cause many of these symptoms. Having one or more of these symptoms does not mean you have kidney cancer.
If you notice a combination of any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor right away. Finding and treating kidney cancer early can help prevent other serious health problems.
Who has a higher chance of getting kidney cancer?
Doctors do not know what causes kidney cancer. However, there are some things that can increase your risk of getting kidney cancer, including:
- Smoking
- Being overweight
- Having high blood pressure
- Having a family history of kidney cancer
- Having certain inherited or genetic diseases
- Long-term treatment for kidney failure
Having one of these risk factors does not mean you will get kidney cancer. Talk to your doctor about your risk factors and what you can do to lower your risk of kidney cancer.
How will I know if I have kidney cancer?
Sometimes, kidney cancer is found when your doctor is doing tests for other conditions before you have any symptoms. Other times, your doctor may decide to do specific tests based on symptoms or health problems you are experiencing.
To find out if you have kidney cancer, your doctor might do one or more tests, such as:
- Physical exam to measure your height and weight, take your blood pressure, and listen to your heart, in addition to other exams
- Blood tests to help find out how well your kidneys work and look for other signs of cancer such as anemia
- Urine tests to check for blood in your urine
- Imaging tests to look at your kidneys, such as an ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI
- Kidney biopsy is a procedure where your doctors take a small piece of your kidneys to look at it closely under a microscope.
What are the types of kidney cancer?
The most common type of kidney cancer in adults is renal cell carcinoma (RCC). RCC is typically classified as clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) or non-clear cell renal carcinoma(ncRCC).
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is also known as conventional renal cell carcinoma because it is the most common type of kidney cancer, making up 8 out of 10 cases of adult kidney cancer. It is called "clear cell" because the cells of the tumors are clear and look almost like bubbles when viewed under a microscope.
Non-clear cell renal carcinoma (nccRCC) is an umbrella term for other kinds of renal cell carcinomas. There are more than 15 types of nccRCC, including:
- Papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC): these tumors form papillae, which are finger-like projections. It usually occurs randomly, although it is possible for it to be passed down through families.
- Translocation renal cell carcinoma (TRCC): these tumors are usually slow-growing and found in children, but when found in adults, TRCC can be aggressive. TRCC cells can appear clear and have papillae.
- Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma: this is a rare form of RCC. and the cells in the tumors are pale but darker than clear cell RCCs.
NOTE: There are other, rarer forms of renal cell carcinomas as well as unclassified renal cell carcinomas, which cannot be categorized.
Other kinds of kidney cancer include:
- Transitional cell or urothelial carcinoma: this cancer begins where your ureter (tube that carries urine) connects to your kidney, but it can also start in your bladder or ureter itself. This makes up 6-7% of all kidney cancers.
- Wilms tumor or nephroblastoma: this is the most common type of kidney cancer in children. Nine out 10 kidney cancers in children are a Wilms tumor. There are two types, which are based on what the tumor cells look like.
- Favorable histology: very common (9 out of 10 Wilms tumors) and can be easily treated
- Anaplastic histology: the nucleus inside the tumor cells is enlarged and distorted and this can make the cancer harder to treat
- Renal sarcoma: this is a rare form (1% of kidney cancers) that begins in the connective tissue of the kidneys and can spread to nearby organs and bones.
What are the stages of kidney cancer?
If tests show that you have kidney cancer, the next step is to figure out the stage of the cancer, a process sometimes called staging. To figure out the stage, doctors may do more imaging tests such as an ultrasound, CT scan, X-ray, or MRI.
The most common system used to stage cancers is the tumor, node, and metastasis (TNM system). In this process, the tumor, node, and metastasis are all given a number or letter.
- Tumor – this category describes the original tumor, where the cancer started. Doctors will look at the size, location, and extension of the tumor.
- N – this category assesses if cancer has spread to the nearby lymph nodes. These are small collections of immune cells that cancer often spreads to before it spreads to other body parts.
- Metastasis – this category assesses if the cancer has spread to other parts of your body.
The stages of kidney cancer are from I (one) to IV (four). A lower stage means that the cancer has not spread outside your kidneys. By stage IV, the cancer is considered advanced, which means it has spread to other parts of your body (such as bones, lymph nodes, other organs, etc.). Stage IV kidney cancer is the most severe. Cancer that cannot be cured is called terminal or end-stage, cancer.
Who treats kidney cancer?
If you are diagnosed with kidney cancer, your care team will grow to include providers from different areas. This can include:
- Urologist or Urologic oncologist (a doctor trained in surgery who treats the urinary tract)
- Medical oncologist (a cancer doctor who treats cancer with medicine or chemotherapy)
- Radiation oncologist (a cancer doctor who treats cancer with radiation therapy)
- Nephrologist (a kidney doctor)
You will also interact with nurses from these areas as well as social workers, psychologists, and other health professionals.
How do doctors treat kidney cancer?
The most common treatment for kidney cancer is surgery to remove the affected area. In some cases, surgeons may remove just the cancer and some of the surrounding area. In others, they may remove the entire affected kidney. The type of surgery you have depends on the stage of the cancer and any other health problems that might affect your life after surgery, such as if you have already had one kidney removed. For people in the early stages, this is generally the preferred option and can be very effective in getting rid of cancer.
If surgery is not an option, your doctor might recommend another treatment option, such as:
- Thermal ablation: a procedure that uses heat or cold to kill cancer cells
- Radiation therapy (radiotherapy): a treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors
- Chemotherapy: a treatment that stops cancer cells from growing and spreading
- Immunotherapy: a treatment that boosts your immune system to fight cancer
- Targeted drug therapy: a treatment that uses drugs to target specific cancer cells
- Active surveillance: closely watching the cancer through exams and tests to see if a treatment is needed
Treatment for kidney cancer can consist of just surgery or a combination of different therapies. Talk to your care team about which treatment options are the best fit for you, your lifestyle and your goals.
Visit the National Cancer Institute website to learn more about treatment options for kidney cancer.
How long can I live with kidney cancer?
How long you may live with kidney cancer (your life expectancy) depends on many things, such as:
- Your stage and age when diagnosed
- The type of kidney cancer you have
- Your treatment plan
- Other health problems you have
The likelihood that people diagnosed with kidney cancer will live for at least five years after diagnosis called the five-year relative survival rate, is 78%.
Talk to your doctor about your diagnosis and what factors may affect your life expectancy.
What health problems can kidney cancer cause?
Treatments for kidney cancer, including surgery, can cause other health issues. If you need to have all or part of one of your kidneys removed, and your other kidney is not working well enough to clean your blood, you might need dialysis or a kidney transplant. If you need dialysis or a kidney transplant, you may have some of the symptoms of kidney failure, also called end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or end-stage kidney disease (ESKD).
Kidney cancer can spread to other parts of your body, which can cause other kinds of symptoms. Treatments for kidney cancer may also cause other health problems.
Talk to your doctor about what you can expect during and after your kidney cancer treatment and how you can best take care of yourself during this time.
How can I prevent kidney cancer?
It is not always possible to prevent kidney cancer, but you can take these steps to lower your chance of getting it:
Quit smoking or using tobacco.
Keep a healthy weight. Talk with your doctor about what a healthy weight is for you.
If you have high blood pressure, follow your treatment plan. If you take blood pressure medicine, take it as your doctor prescribes, and do not skip doses.
Mental health and kidney cancer
Learning that you have kidney cancer can be scary and overwhelming. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues are common in people with kidney cancer.
Strategies to help you cope with the stress of kidney cancer include:
- Be active. Aim to be active each day, which may help boost your mood. This can include walking, biking, swimming, or any other physical activities you enjoy.
- Get enough sleep. Sleep is important for your body and helps your body to heal. Aim for 7-8 hours a night, which may help improve your mood, energy, and focus.
- Find community. Having a support system can give you people to lean on and talk to when you are feeling down. For some, this can be a religious or spiritual community. For others, it might be friends or family.
- Be creative. Engaging in hobbies like painting, crafting or sewing can be relaxing and help lower your stress.
- Find a support group. A cancer diagnosis can feel isolating, and it might be hard to relate to people in your life. A cancer support group can help you connect with people going through a similar experience.
Another source of support can be mental health professionals, such as a therapist, counselor, or social worker.
These professionals are trained to help you:
- Understand and process your emotions
- Provide and improve your coping skills
- Navigate everyday life with kidney cancer
- Advocate for your needs
Talk to your healthcare providers about a referral to a mental health professional.
For more information about kidney cancer, visit:
Education content supported by
