ABSTRACT
Renal cell carcinoma represents on average over 90% of all malignancies of the kidney that occur in adults in both sexes. Renal cell cancer is the seventh leading malignant condition among men and the twelfth among women, accounting for 2.6% of all cancers. A 1.6:1.0 male predominance exists and the peak incidence is in the sixth and seventh decades. About 2% of cases of renal cancer are associated with inherited syndromes. The American Cancer Society estimated 38 890 (24 650 in males and 14 240 in females) new renal cancers and 12 840 (8 130 males and 4 710 females) deaths in the United States during 2006.1
Tobacco smoking is a major cause of kidney cancer and accounts for at least 39% of all cases in males. Exposure to carcinogenic arsenic compounds in industrial processes or through drinking water increases the risk of renal cancer by 30%. Several other environmental chemicals have been addressed as possible carcinogens, including asbestos, cadmium, some organic solvents, pesticides, and fungal toxins. Estrogens could be involved in the mechanism that induces renal cell carcinoma in overweight and obese individuals.2
The incidence of renal cell carcinoma in obese people is double that of normal individuals and it is also significantly increased in people with a history of blood hypertension. Other exposures that have been addressed are a family history of kidney cancer, birth weight, low consumption of fruits and vegetables, and the use of antihypertensive drugs other than diuretics.3,4
