This page was reviewed under our medical and editorial policy by Maurie Markman, MD, President, Medicine & Science
This page was updated on July 20, 2022.
Kidney cancer, also called renal cancer, is the sixth most common cancer in American men and ninth most common in U.S. women. An estimated 81,800 Americans will be diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2023, and more than 4 percent of all new cancers diagnosed are kidney cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Kidney cancer is among the 10 most common cancers in the United States. And yet many symptoms, such as blood in the urine, fatigue or unexplained weight loss, may be overlooked or dismissed as side effects of less serious illnesses. That’s why an accurate and timely diagnosis is important. If you or your loved one is experiencing signs of kidney cancer or if you’ve already been diagnosed with kidney cancer and are interested in a second opinion, the cancer experts at City of Hope have the training, expertise and sophisticated technology needed to confirm your diagnosis and, if needed, develop a personalized treatment plan designed to meet your individual needs and treatment goals.
The oncologists at City of Hope have extensive experience in diagnosing and staging kidney cancer and developing a comprehensive treatment plan that also helps each patient address related side effects. Our cancer hospitals offer an array of options for treating the disease, such as with robotic surgery, laparoscopic nephrectomy, targeted therapy and other evidence-informed approaches.
This overview will cover the basic facts about kidney cancer, including:
If you believe you may be experiencing symptoms of kidney cancer and want to schedule an appointment for diagnostic testing, or if you’re interested in a second opinion for kidney cancer at City of Hope, call us or chat online with a member of our team.
The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs located on either side of the spine, protected by the lower rib cage. Although the body has two kidneys, only part of one kidney is necessary to function. The main job of the kidneys is to filter blood and remove excess water, salt and other substances from the body. Most of these fluids run through tubes called renal tubules, which filter fluids in the kidney before the waste (urine) is discharged into the bladder. Most kidney tumors form when the cells that line these tubules (renal cells) mutate and grow out of control. Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer.
Renal cell cancer accounts for about 90 percent of cancers in the kidney, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Transitional cell carcinoma accounts for about 5 to 10 percent of cancers. Wilms tumor is a rare type of kidney cancer that occurs in children.
Why kidney cells develop into cancer cells isn’t well understood. However, some of the risk factors for kidney cancer are known.
For example, men are twice as likely to be diagnosed with kidney cancer as women. Other unavoidable risk factors include:
Some risk factors for kidney cancer may be managed, including:
As with most cancers, the risk for developing kidney cancer increases with age. According to the NCI and ACS:
"The treatments were difficult to get through at times. My hands became numb and I had very painful mouth sores that lasted throughout chemotherapy. After the six hours of chemotherapy infusion, there were times when I could not make it to my room unassisted. But the truth is, I never had to make it to my room unassisted. There was always someone there to help. My care team did their best to help reduce the pain of the mouth sores and to provide comfort in whatever way they could."
Signs and symptoms of kidney cancer don’t usually become noticeable until late in the disease. In the early stages, there are usually no symptoms. If they do develop, they may include:
Signs of kidney cancer caused by changes in kidney hormones may include:
More than 90 percent of all kidney tumors are renal cell carcinomas (RCC). Subtypes include:
Other types of kidney cancer include:
Metastatic renal cancer occurs when the cancer has spread from the kidney into lymph nodes or distant organs, such as the liver, lungs or bladder.
Many early kidney cancers are discovered during testing for other reasons. A urine sample may show blood, or a blood test may detect anemia. An imaging study of the abdomen for unrelated symptoms may reveal kidney cancer.
If doctors suspect kidney cancer, imaging studies are important for diagnosis. In some cases, kidney cancer may be diagnosed with imaging studies alone.
These include:
If surgery is recommended, the diagnosis also may be confirmed post-op by looking at cancer cells under a microscope, called pathologic diagnosis. Kidney cancer also may be confirmed with a needle biopsy.
The next step after diagnosis is to determine the stage of cancer. The stage helps doctors select the most appropriate treatment options.
To find the stage, additional tests such as a chest X-ray or bone scan may be ordered, which helps determine whether the cancer has spread to the lungs or bones.
There are four stages for kidney cancer:
Multiple treatment options are used for kidney cancer, and which are appropriate for you depends on the stage and location of the disease. The approach to treating kidney cancer also depends on a patient’s age and healthy history. A multidisciplinary team of cancer experts will recommend treatment options based on each patient’s unique diagnosis, as well as any concerns about side effects and personal preferences. Common treatments for kidney cancer include:
In addition to these treatment options, new therapies are always being studied in clinical trials. Before proceeding with treatment, patients may want to ask their doctor whether enrolling in a clinical trial would be the right approach.
At City of Hope, we understand that kidney cancer and other malignancies of the genitourinary tract create unique challenges for patients, and that treatment options are very specific to each disease. That’s why we developed the Genitourinary Cancer Program, led by a multidisciplinary team of board-certified medical, urologic, surgical and radiation oncologists, along with gastroenterologists and interventional-radiology, who collaborate to deliver quality clinical care to kidney cancer patients. Because they all work together under one roof, our team of experts and specialists develop a treatment plan tailored to the unique needs of each patient, communicating regularly and adjusting the treatment plan as necessary.
Many kidney patients experience sexual side effects related to their treatment, such as chances to their libido or erectile dysfunction, which may require difficult decisions and conversations. The City of Hope Genitourinary Cancer Program team includes specialists who are fellowship-trained in urologic reconstruction, including in the use of prosthetics (i.e., penile prosthesis and artificial urinary sphincters).
Patients in the Genitourinary Cancer Program at City of Hope also have a range of supportive care providers on their care team to help manage disease- and treatment-related side effects, such as fatigue, unexplained weight loss, pain and sex and intimacy challenges.
Supportive care therapies that may be recommended to help patients with kidney cancer stay strong and maintain their quality of life include:
