Noteworthy Numbers: Renal Cancer

Renal Cancer

Although there are several hereditary risk factors related to kidney cancer, there also are lifestyle choices that can increase a person’s risk of the disease. In fact, 3 risk factors (cigarette use, obesity, and hypertension) together are associated with 49% of kidney cancer cases.1 As we continue to encourage healthy lifestyle choices in the fight against kidney cancer, let us examine the following statistics related to this disease.

Although kidney cancer death rates have decreased slightly since the mid-1990s, the rate of kidney cancer diagnosis has been rising steadily since the late 1990s.2

One in 62 men and women will be diagnosed with kidney cancer during their lifetime.3

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 65,150 new cases of kidney cancer will occur in 2013, with 40,430 of them in men and 24,720 in women.2

Among men, kidney cancer is the 6th most common cancer. The disease is the 8th most common cause of cancer for women.4

For people younger than age 45, kidney cancer is very uncommon. The
disease most often occurs in people age 55 and older, with an average age of 64 at diagnosis.2

Between 2005 and 2009, the median age at death for patients with kidney cancer was 71 years.3

According to SEER statistics, the overall 5-year relative survival rate for kidney cancer is 70.6%.3

There are several types of kidney cancer. Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type, comprising almost 85% of kidney cancer diagnoses. Another 10% to 15% of kidney cancer cases are categorized as transitional cell carcinoma. Wilms tumor (the most common kidney cancer in children) and renal sarcoma are 2 other types of this disease.4

Sources
1. http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/diseasemanagement/nephrology/renal-cell-carcinoma/.
2. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/kidneycancer/detailed guide/kidney-cancer-adult-key-statistics.
3. http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/kidrp.html.
4. http://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/kidney-cancer.