Certain issues can affect a person's likelihood of developing kidney cancer. These are called risk factors. Just because you have a risk factor does not necessarily mean you will have kidney cancer.

• Age

The risk of developing kidney cancer increases with age, and most cases are seen in people over 60.

• Smoking

The longer you smoke and the more you consume, the greater the risk. The risk goes down if you quit smoking.

• Obesity

Studies show that overweight people have a higher risk of developing kidney cancer.

• Medical conditions

Some medical conditions such as high blood pressure (hypertension) can increase the risk of getting kidney cancer.

People with advanced-stage kidney disease—especially those needing dialysis—have a higher risk of developing kidney cancer.

• Family history

Few kidney cancers are not hereditary. However, people who have one or two first-degree relatives (father, sibling, or child) with kidney cancer may have a higher risk of developing the disease.

Some rare genetic conditions by which a person inherits a defective gene can increase the risk of developing kidney cancer. These conditions include Hippel-Lindau syndrome, hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma, and Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome.

Renal cancers that develop due to the inheritance of a faulty gene are more likely to cause several tumors, affecting both kidneys and occurring at earlier ages.