Kidney cancer exists in both sporadic (non-hereditary) and hereditary forms. Sporadic kidney cancer accounts for the majority of cases.¹

Source: ²

In sporadic kidney cancer, you usually find a single tumour, while hereditary forms can be:

• Bilateral (affects both kidneys)³
• Multifocal (multiple sites on one kidney)³
• Only ~2–3% of all RCCs are hereditary. There are several well-described syndromes, with the von Hippel-Lindau syndrome being the most common¹

(See section on pathophysiology)

The development of sporadic RCC may be associated with a number of risk factors. These risk factors can be divided into 3 main categories:

Smoking

• It is estimated that smoking can explain 20% to 30% of the RCC incidence in men and between 10% and 20% among women
• Smoking increases the risk of RCC in a dose-dependent manner
• The risk can be reduced by giving up smoking, but only in people who have been ex-smokers for a long time (≥ 10 years)

Obesity

• Obesity appears to be a greater risk factor in women than in men
• May be related to BMI distribution and the fact that women are often more overweight than men

• Prolonged exposure to cadmium, petrol, trichloroethylene, petrochemicals, tar and asbestos increases the risk of RCC

• Chronic kidney disease, polycystic kidney disease or prolonged dialysis
• Hypertension

Exercise and alcohol in small/moderate amounts appear to reduce the risk of kidney cancer.

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2. Linehan WM, Rini BI, Yang JC. Cancer of the kidney. I: DeVita VT, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA, eds. DeVita, Hellman, and Rosenberg’s Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2011:1161–1182.
3. Zhou M, Hattab EM, Eble JN, Cheng L. Neoplasms of the kidney. I: Zhou M, Galluzi-Magi C, eds. Genitourinary Pathology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2015:306–377.
4. Chow WH, Dong LM, Devesa SS. Epidemiology and risk factors for kidney cancer. Nat Rev Urol. 2010;7(5):245–257.
5. New 5 Kümmerlin IPED, Laguna MP, de la Rosette JJMCH, Bossuyt PMM. Epidemiology of renal cell carcinoma. I: de la Rosette JJMCH, Sternberg CN, van Poppel HPA, eds. Renal Cell Cancer: Diagnosis and Therapy. London: Springer-Verlag; 2008:1-8.
6. Kim I, Ha J, Lee JH, et al. The relationship between the occupational exposure of trichloroethylene and kidney cancer. Ann Occup Environ Med. 2014;26:1-9.
7. Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Kidney Cancer, JClinOncol 36 1018