Could Your Family History Be Putting You At Risk Of Kidney Cancer?

Kidney cancer is one of the world’s most common cancers. Smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure remain the biggest risk factors.

Doctors say family history and genetics can increase kidney cancer risk and help detect the disease earlier.

Most kidney cancers develop due to age, lifestyle, and environmental factors. About 2–4% of cases are linked to inherited genetic conditions.

According to Dr Kunal Sharma, VP and Head of Integrated Onco-Pathology at Agilus Diagnostics, people with a parent, sibling, or child who has had kidney cancer have a higher risk.

The risk increases if several close family members have been diagnosed or if the disease develops at a younger age.

Certain inherited conditions, including Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease, Hereditary Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma (HPRC), Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome, and Hereditary Leiomyomatosis and Renal Cell Cancer (HLRCC), can also raise the chances of developing kidney cancer.

The doctors recommend genetic counselling for people with a strong family history or inherited cancer syndromes.

Kidney cancer often has no early symptoms. Watch for blood in urine, side pain, weight loss, fatigue, fever, or unusual lumps.

Although you can’t change your genes, staying active, avoiding tobacco, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting regular check-ups can lower your risk.

Most importantly, knowing your family history, recognising warning signs, and seeking medical advice early can help detect kidney cancer sooner.

Early diagnosis makes treatment more effective and improves the chances of recovery.

Also Read: One In Three Indians May Have Fatty Liver – Could You Be At Risk?