Kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, is a condition in which kidney cells grow rapidly and fuse together to form a malignant tumor, the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center reports. There are two main types of kidney cancer: renal cell cancer and transitional cell cancer, with renal cell cancer being most common. Both types have the same risk factors.
Hereditary Factors
According to the American Cancer Society, certain hereditary conditions increase your risk of developing kidney cancer. Having Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome, hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma, hereditary renal oncocytoma, hereditary leiomyomatiosis and renal cell carcinoma, and von-Hippel-Lindau Disease are the conditions that are considered risk factors.
Lifestyle
Smoking, exposure to herbicides, benzene, cadmium, asbestos or trichloroethylene, and obesity are all considered risk factors for kidney cancer. The Mayo Clinic reports that the risk of kidney cancer associated with smoking increases over time unless the smoker quits smoking. Then the risk of developing kidney cancer will decrease over time.
Medical History
People with a family history of cancer, particularly kidney cancer, are at an increased risk of developing this cancer. Patients with high blood pressure, those with advanced kidney disease and people who have taken phenacetin (a pain reliever ingredient now off the market) are also at an increased risk. People who have taken dialysis treatments for an extended period of time are at a higher risk than normal of developing kidney cancer, according to the UCLA Medical Center.
Gender, Age and Race
According to the UCLA Medical Center, men are more likely than women to develop kidney cancer. There is a higher incidence of kidney cancer in people 55 to 85 years old; however, there is a slight increase at age 45. African Americans are more likely to develop kidney cancer than Caucasians.
