Young Adults

The average age of someone diagnosed with kidney cancer is around 65 years old. But in recent years, diagnosis rates of kidney cancer for those under 40 years old have been increasing. Here is what you should know.

Fast Facts About Young Adults and Kidney Cancer

  • Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in this age group is increasing at 3-5% per year; rates of kidney cancer in this age group doubled between 2000 and 2016
  • Many in this age group are diagnosed with very early-stage kidney cancer
  • 10% of all kidney cancers occur in people younger than 45 years old
  • Patients age 46 or younger account for 70% of all hereditary RCC diagnoses
  • While clear cell RCC (ccRCC) is by far the most common type of RCC in older patients (91%), it is relatively less common in young adults (69 %)
Kidney Cancer Risk Factors
Signs & Symptoms
Take Action
If Diagnosed with Kidney Cancer
Resources

Kidney Cancer Risk Factors

Researchers have yet to figure out why rates of kidney cancer are increasing more quickly in this age group. However, one risk factor for kidney cancer, genetic conditions, is more likely to impact this age group. These conditions include syndromes such as von Hippel-Lindau (VHL), hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma (HLRCC), Birt-Hogg-Dubé (BHD), hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma (HPRCC), tuberous sclerosis, and sickle cell trait. 

Even though most kidney cancers with genetic links or drivers are diagnosed in younger adults, most kidney cancers in younger adults do not have known genetic causes.

Other risk factors that may generally increase your chances of being diagnosed with kidney cancer include:

  • Smoking
  • Obesity
  • High blood pressure
  • Family history of kidney cancer
  • Certain genetic conditions

These groups are also more likely to be diagnosed with kidney cancer:

  • Men
  • African Americans
  • American Indians and Alaska Natives
  • Hispanic Americans

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Signs and Symptoms

Regardless of age, the symptoms are similar for most people diagnosed with kidney cancer. But younger adults with kidney cancer are more likely to experience symptoms than older kidney cancer patients. Symptoms include:

  • Blood in your urine
  • Unexplained pain in your lower back or side
  • A mass or lump in your lower back or side
  • Fatigue
  • Loss of appetite
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Ongoing fevers without an infection

Each of these symptoms on their own does not mean you have kidney cancer. They may be a sign of other health issues. If you have any of these symptoms, talk to your healthcare team to see if you need further testing or treatments.

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Take Action

If you do have one of the genetic conditions discussed on this page, you may benefit from periodic cancer screenings. This may include ultrasounds, CT scans, or MRIs. Talk to your doctor and follow their recommendations about when screenings should start and how often they should be done for your specific situation.

If your doctor is considering a kidney cancer diagnosis and treatment options, make sure they know that kidney cancer in young adults has unique considerations, such as:

  • Rarer types of RCC, particularly those resulting from hereditary syndromes, are relatively more common in younger adults.
  • Traditional diagnostic criteria may not be as useful.
  • Surgical treatments should consider techniques that help younger patients live longer with decreased kidney function.

Engage With Your Health

There are actions you can take that may help reduce your risk of getting kidney cancer. These include:

  • If you smoke, quit. The CDC has resources to help.
  • If you have high blood pressure or chronic kidney disease, make sure to follow your doctor’s recommendations on how to manage it.
  • Maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating well, engaging in physical activities you enjoy, and reducing stress.

You can also support your health by staying engaged with your health care team. This includes:

  1. Help your doctor understand your unique risk for kidney cancer.
  2. Continue, or start, to get regular physicals from your doctor.
  3. Watch out for signs and symptoms of kidney cancer, and tell your care team if you have any.

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If Diagnosed with Kidney Cancer

Here are some considerations particularly relevant to those diagnosed with kidney cancer as a young adult.

Fertility Preservation

Prior to undergoing treatment, you may want to talk to your doctor about any potential side effects related to fertility. Your doctor may recommend undergoing fertility preservation to help ensure that some family planning options are available to you following treatment. The American Cancer Society (ACS) has resources on fertility preservation for men and women. Some options may be expensive and not covered by your insurance. The Alliance for Fertility Preservation has a list of programs that may be able to help offset these costs.

Genetic Counseling

Because genetic causes of kidney cancer are more common in this age group, the American Urological Association (AUA) recommends that all patients diagnosed with kidney cancer at age 46 or younger be referred for genetic counseling. In addition to helping guide treatment decisions and understanding your risk for future cancers, this can help identify family members who may be at heightened risk of developing kidney cancer for proactive management and screening.

Survivorship

It can be hard to know what you should be doing as you adjust to a kidney cancer diagnosis and go through treatment. One thing that can help is to connect with other kidney cancer survivors. You can hear from other survivors of kidney cancer whose experiences may be similar to yours by listening to KCA’s new podcast series Kidney Cancer Unfiltered. You may also be interested in participating in KCA’s mentorship program with Imerman Angels, which connects kidney cancer survivors to each other for one-on-one support.

Survivors of cancer remain at risk of their cancer returning. Be sure to follow your doctor’s recommendations for post-treatment monitoring, which may include follow-up appointments, blood tests, or periodic scans. And remain on the lookout for symptoms of kidney cancer.

Survivors may also be at higher risk of other health conditions like high blood pressure, changes to their mental health, and new cancers. A study found that among younger kidney cancer survivors, one-third of those whose cancer was treated with sunitinib (Sutent) and one-half of those treated with sorafenib (Nexavar) developed high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and kidney disease. A recent review of studies on cancer survivors diagnosed before age 26 found that these survivors are at 30% greater risk of depression and 60% greater risk of anxiety. Data on whether kidney cancer survivors are at increased risk of future cancers are somewhat mixed. Studies have shown, however, that survivors whose kidney cancers were linked to hereditary syndromes are at much higher risk of being diagnosed with another cancer.

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Resources

While not specific to kidney cancer survivors, you can find more resources about survivorship care in the resources included below.

Social Support

Fertility and Family Planning

Survivorship

Other Resources

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References:

  1. Miller KD, Fidler-Benaoudia M, Keegan TH, Hipp HS, Jemal A, Siegel RL. Cancer statistics for adolescents and young adults, 2020. CA Cancer J Clin. 2020;70(6):443-459. doi:10.3322/caac.21637
  1. Palumbo C, Pecoraro A, Rosiello G, et al. Renal cell carcinoma incidence rates and trends in young adults aged 20-39 years. Cancer Epidemiol. 2020;67:101762. doi:10.1016/j.canep.2020.101762
  1. Gopee-Ramanan P, Chin S (Suzy), Lim C, Shanbhogue KP, Schieda N, Krishna S. Renal Neoplasms in Young Adults. RadioGraphics. 2022;42(2):433-450. doi:10.1148/rg.210138
  1. Shuch B, Vourganti S, Ricketts CJ, et al. Defining Early-Onset Kidney Cancer: Implications for Germline and Somatic Mutation Testing and Clinical Management. J Clin Oncol. 2014;32(5):431-437. doi:10.1200/JCO.2013.50.8192
  1. A R, Jj P, B L. Renal cell carcinoma in young adults: incidence, disease outcome and review of the literature. Arch Esp Urol. 2002;55(8).
  1. SEER*Explorer Application
  1. Thompson RH, Ordonez MA, Iasonos A, et al. RENAL CELL CARCINOMA IN YOUNG AND OLD PATIENTS: IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? J Urol. 2008;180(4):1262-1266. doi:10.1016/j.juro.2008.06.037
  1. Campbell S, Uzzo RG, Allaf ME, et al. Renal Mass and Localized Renal Cancer: AUA Guideline. J Urol. 2017;198(3):520-529. doi:10.1016/j.juro.2017.04.100
  1. Bottinor WJ, Flamand Y, Haas NB, et al. Cardiovascular Implications of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Inhibition Among Adolescents/Young Adults in ECOG-ACRIN E2805. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2023;21(7):725-731.e1. doi:10.6004/jnccn.2023.7018
  1. Lee ARYB, Low CE, Yau CE, Li J, Ho R, Ho CSH. Lifetime Burden of Psychological Symptoms, Disorders, and Suicide Due to Cancer in Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Years: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2023;177(8):790-799. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.2168
  1. Chen T, Fallah M, Sundquist K, Liu H, Hemminki K. Risk of subsequent cancers in renal cell carcinoma survivors with a family history. Eur J Cancer. 2014;50(12):2108-2118. doi:10.1016/j.ejca.2014.05.003

Information on this page last reviewed: January, 2025

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