Risk Factors
What is a risk factor?
A risk factor is anything that may increase a person's chance of developing a disease. It may be an activity, such as smoking, diet, family history, or many other things. Different diseases, including cancers, have different risk factors.
Although these factors can increase a person's risk, they do not necessarily cause the disease. Some people with one or more risk factors never develop the disease, while others develop disease and have no known risk factors.
But, knowing your risk factors to any disease can help to guide you into the appropriate actions, including changing behaviors and being clinically monitored for the disease.
What are the risk factors for renal cell cancer?
The exact cause of renal cell cancer is unknown. However, there are certain risk factors that are linked to it. These risk factors, according to the American Cancer Society, are as follows:
- smoking
Smoking increases the risk of kidney cancer. The risk seems related to the amount you smoke. - asbestos
Studies show a link between exposure to asbestos and kidney cancer. - cadmium
There may be a link between cadmium exposure and kidney cancer. Cadmium may increase the cancer-causing effect of smoking. - family history
Family history of kidney cancer increases a person's risk. - gender
Men are twice as likely to develop renal cell cancer than women. - von Hippel-Lindau syndrome
This is a disease caused by a gene mutation that increases the chances of renal cell cancer. - tuberous sclerosis
Patients who have this disease are more likely to develop renal cell cancer. - diet
A high-fat diet increases a person's risk of kidney cancer. - obesity
Obesity increases a person's risk of kidney cancer. - long-term dialysis
Patients who have been on dialysis for a long time may develop kidney cysts, which may be one cause of renal cell cancer. - high blood pressure
Patients who are overweight and have high blood pressure may have a risk for kidney cancer that is three times greater than patients who are not overweight and who have normal blood pressure. - diuretics (water pills)
Drugs that eliminate excess body fluid have been linked to kidney cancer. - race
African Americans have a slightly higher risk of kidney cancer.
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