The cause of kidney cancer is mainly thought to be as a result of gene mutation (change). Certain changes in the DNA of human body cells, which make up genes are strongly believed to cause kidney cancer. Cells grow, divide and die, giving way to new cells to take over in a natural controlled process. When certain cells fail to die and others continue to grow, cells may be unnecessarily excess, leading to formation of a mass (tumour or cancer), which starts to spread to other organs. Certain inherited DNA changes can lead to conditions running in some families that increase the risk of kidney cancer.

A number of risk factors are also associated with the occurrence of kidney cancer:

Smoking: Cigarette smoking increases the risk of contracting renal cell adenocarcinoma. If a      person smokes many cigarettes in a day for a number of years, the risk of contracting renal cell adenocarcinoma becomes very high.

High blood pressure: Certain medicines (diuretics) that are used to treat or manage high blood pressure are thought to put one at risk of contracting kidney cancer, especially renal cell carcinoma.  Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome People with this syndrome, which is characterized by the development of small benign skin tumors, have an increased risk of developing different kinds of renal cell cancers. They may also have benign or malignant tumors of several other tissues.

Hippel-Lindau disease:People with this condition often develop several kinds of tumors and cysts (fluid-filled sacs) in different parts of the body. They have an increased risk for developing clear renal cell carcinoma, especially at a younger age. They may also have benign tumors in their eyes, brain, spinal cord, pancreas and other organs; and a type of  adrenal gland tumor called pheochromocytoma. This condition is caused by mutations (changes) in the VHL gene.

Obesity: This is the deposition of excessive fat around the body, especially in the sub- cutaneous tissue. This increases the risk of developing kidney cancer.

Occupation risks: Exposures to certain substances increase the risk of contracting kidney cancer, particularly renal cell carcinoma. These substances include herbicides, cadmium, asbestos, benzene and some organic solvents. Here you can also see what is kidney cancer.
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Kidney cancers are diagnosed throughout the world but they are more prevalent in Northern America and more less in Africa and Asian regions. It is common in men over 70 years although women above 65 years have also been diagnosed.

Kidney cancer can show signs or may not show any signs. The most common sign that normally occurs is a mass in the abdomen (it grows and fills the entire belly in extreme cases), hydronephrosis (distension of the kidney pelvis with urine, from obstructed outflow. If unrelieved,pressure eventually causes atrophy of kidney tissue).

Treatment for kidney cancer depends on the type and stage of the disease. In wilms tumor (in children), chemotherapy, radiotherapy and nephrectomy are the recommended treatments. In renal cell carcinoma, treatment depends on the stage of the cancer, but typically does not involve chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as renal cell carcinoma is resistant to these therapies. Treatment for localized renal cell carcinoma consists of nephrectomy alone, with no adjuvant (post surgical) therapy. In metastatic renal cell carcinoma, treatment the use of torisel, nexavar and sutent. Interferon and interleukin-2 are at times used.