Cancer that affects the kidneys is called kidney cancer. In this cancer, the cells grow out of control and form a tumor in the kidney. It may spread outside the kidney too. Renal cell carcinoma is known to be the most common form of the disease. There are some risk factors that increase the patient’s chance of developing the condition. Therefore, let’s explore the risk factors for kidney cancer.

• Excessive body weight
  Excess body fat is a risk factor for several conditions and can also increase your risk of renal cancer. Being overweight affects your body hormones adversely and this can lead to the development of the disease. So, if you are overweight you need to keep your weight under control for good health.
• Smoking
  Smoking is bad for your health overall. What many people are not aware of is that smoking is also related to kidney cancer in the body, aside from lung cancer. The good news is that if you quit smoking your risk for developing kidney cancer will reduce eventually.
• Sex
  Studies have found that men are at a higher risk of developing kidney cancer as compared to women. There is still a lot of research being done as to why this happens. One reason is possible that men are more prone to habits like smoking and that puts them in a risk bracket. Also, men may face harmful exposure to chemicals at work which can also make them highly vulnerable.
• Genes
  It is a known fact that many illnesses tend to run in families. This is especially true for cancers that do get passed on in the genes. Even the risk for kidney cancer is high when it runs in the family. This is because of the DNA that you get from your parents. For example, if your brother or sister develops kidney cancer there is a very high possibility that you too will develop this condition. So, doctors always recommend regular screening for patients who have a family history of cancer for early detection.
• Being on dialysis
  Many patients have to undergo dialysis if their kidneys don’t function well enough. In this case, they are in a high-risk bracket for developing kidney cancer.
• Race factors
  Some studies show that people who are of African American origin have a much higher risk of developing kidney cancer as compared to Caucasians. The exact reason for this is not known and there is much research being conducted.
• Certain diseases
  Having certain diseases also makes a person a high risk for kidney cancer. These diseases include Von Hippel-Lindau disease and Birt-Hogg-Dube (BHD) syndrome. They might develop many tumors that need to be inspected for possible signs of cancer. Other studies also show that patients with high blood press complications also have a risk of kidney cancer. There are studies to support that taking blood pressure medicines can reduce this risk a lot.

These are some of the risk factors for kidney cancer it is vital to be aware of, so treatment can be availed at the earliest.