Kidney

C64WHO Vol. 8

Urinary Tract

Key facts

Estimated new cases (US, 2026)

80,450 kidney and renal pelvis cancers; 15,160 deaths (SEER)

5-year relative survival

79.2% overall (SEER 21, 2016–2022)

Survival by stage (SEER, 2016–2022)

Localized 93.6% · regional 77.6% · distant 20.3%

Stage at diagnosis

66% localized, 17% regional, 15% distant

Main risk factors

Smoking, excess body weight, high blood pressure, family history, von Hippel-Lindau disease (NCI PDQ)

Typical age at diagnosis

Median 65 years; most cases diagnosed at 65–74 (SEER)

Kidney cancer in adults is most often renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which the U.S. National Cancer Institute describes as arising in the lining of the small tubules of the kidney; less common types are transitional cell cancer of the renal pelvis and Wilms tumor, which occurs mainly in children. Early kidney cancer frequently causes no symptoms; as the tumor grows, possible signs include blood in the urine, persistent pain in the side, a lump in the abdomen, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss and anemia. Diagnosis relies on imaging of the abdomen and kidneys — ultrasound, CT or MRI — and in the United States about two-thirds of cases are found while the disease is still confined to the kidney. Established risk factors include smoking, excess body weight, high blood pressure, long-term misuse of certain pain medicines, a family history of renal cell cancer and rare inherited conditions such as von Hippel-Lindau disease. There is no routine population-wide screening test for kidney cancer; evaluation is prompted by symptoms or by findings on imaging.

Prognosis

The outlook in kidney cancer depends strongly on the stage at diagnosis. In U.S. SEER data covering 2016–2022, 5-year relative survival for kidney and renal pelvis cancer is 79.2% overall: 93.6% when the cancer is confined to the kidney (66% of diagnoses), 77.6% when it has spread to nearby structures or regional lymph nodes, and 20.3% when distant metastases are present at diagnosis. According to the NCI, prognosis also depends on the person's age and general health. These figures are population statistics derived from large groups of patients treated in the past; they describe averages, not any individual's future, and a person's actual course can differ substantially from them in either direction.

🔬 Histological Types

📚 Latest Research

2026-09-10

L1CAM expression in eosinophilic solid and cystic renal cell carcinoma: clinicopathologic and immunophenotypic insights from a multicenter cohort.

Kabul S, et al

A multicenter retrospective study of 11 eosinophilic solid and cystic renal cell carcinoma (ESC-RCC) cases found that L1CAM protein is expressed in 63.6% of these rare kidney tumors, with 5 cases showing diffuse membranous (3+) staining and 2 cases showing intermediate (2+) staining. The cohort comprised 9 female and 2 male patients with a median age of 50 years (range 39–79), all of whom were alive without evidence of disease at a median follow-up of 10 months. All tumors expressed KRT20 regardless of L1CAM status, SDHB was retained in all 6 tested cases, and GATA3 was negative in all 5 tested cases. Despite expanding the known immunophenotypic spectrum of ESC-RCC, the authors conclude that L1CAM staining is neither sensitive nor specific enough to support or exclude the diagnosis, and does not currently justify routine use in the diagnostic evaluation of morphologically suspected ESC-RCC.

Human pathology

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2026-09-10

Diagnostic Performance of [68Ga]Ga-DPI-4452 PET/CT in Patients with Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Prospective Trial.

Wang D, et al

A prospective trial of [68Ga]Ga-DPI-4452, a carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX)-targeted PET/CT tracer, demonstrated 100% sensitivity and 85.7% specificity for identifying primary clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) among 30 enrolled patients (23 with ccRCC, 7 with non-ccRCC or benign lesions), with no tracer-related adverse events observed. For extrarenal metastatic disease, the tracer achieved 97.7% sensitivity and detected 82.6% more lesions than conventional imaging, uncovering 20 metastases that standard methods had missed. Tracer uptake correlated strongly with tissue CAIX expression (r = 0.83, P < 0.0001), confirming its biological rationale, and the imaging additionally characterized the viability of venous thrombi — offering clinicians a comprehensive, same-day staging tool for ccRCC.

Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine

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2026-09-09

Immune-checkpoint inhibitor-induced bullous pemphigoid in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma: two case reports and systematic review of the literature.

Filis P, et al

A systematic review of 30 cases plus two new patients from Karolinska University Hospital found that bullous pemphigoid (BP) is a rare but important skin complication of immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma, with a median onset of 35 weeks after starting treatment and nivolumab being the most frequently implicated agent. Affected patients — 86.7% male with a median age of 69 years — typically developed tense blisters on the trunk and extremities, and diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy and immunological testing in 80% of cases. Management relied primarily on corticosteroids, but ICI interruption or discontinuation was necessary in over half of all reported cases. Early recognition of this adverse event is essential to enable timely multidisciplinary management and minimize the need for permanent treatment discontinuation.

Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden)

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