6 Ways to Lower Your Risk of Kidney Cancer

Kidney (renal) cancer has several modifiable risk factors. Diet and lifestyle changes can help address these factors and lower your risk. These are especially important if you have other risk factors you can’t control.

Kidney cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States. Experts expect about 81,800 new kidney cancer diagnoses in the United States in 2023. It’s also the 14th most common cancer worldwide.

Kidney cancer happens when cells in your kidneys change and grow abnormally. We aren’t sure what causes these cells to change, but several factors are known to increase your risk.

Some of these risk factors are in your control. Specific lifestyle changes can lower your risk of developing kidney cancer. And if you’ve had kidney cancer in the past, the changes may also reduce the chances of cancer returning.

Language matters

We use “women” and “men” in this article to reflect the terms historically used to gender people. But your gender identity may not align with how your body responds to this disease. Your doctor can better help you understand how your specific circumstances will translate into risk factors, diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment.

Students who make it into medical school pay a lot of money for the privilege of eventually becoming a doctor, with medical school students in the class of 2019 graduating with an average of $201,490 in student debt, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges as reported by Nerd Wallet. That’s an increase of 2.5% from 2018.