Although kidney cancer is relatively rare, several types of cancer can develop in the kidneys. The most common type is renal cell carcinoma (also known as hypernephroma or renal adenocarcinoma) in which cancer cells develop in the lining of tubules, or tiny tubes, within the kidney.

Other kinds of kidney cancer include transitional cell carcinoma and Wilms' tumor, which is the most common type of childhood kidney cancer.

Renal cell carcinoma accounts for about three percent of all adult cancer cases. With early diagnosis and treament, it can be cured -- in fact, the survival rate for people in which the disease is caught early ranges from 80 to 100 percent.

However, since this cancer often presents no symptoms, early diagnosis can be difficult. Unfortunately, there are no blood or urine tests that directly detect the presence of kidney tumors. Often, kidney cancer is detected during tests for other conditions, such as gallbladder disease

Symptoms & Risk Factors

Check with your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Blood in the urine
• A lump in the abdomen
• A pain in the side that doesn't go away
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss for no known reason
• Anemia

Risk factors

• Smoking
• Obesity
• High blood pressure
• Family history of kidney cancer
• Certain genetic conditions, such as von Hippel Lindau disease or hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma
• Gender: Renal cell carcinoma occurs about twice as often in males than females
• Polycystic kidney disease
• Chronic kidney failure and/or dialysis
• A diet that’s high in calories or fried/sauteed meats  
• Exposure to asbestos and other carcinogenic substances
• Misusing certain pain medicines, including over-the-counter pain medicines, for a long period of time