There are two kidneys in a human body, responsible for removing impurities from the body. There are tiny tubes in the kidney called renal tubules which filter the blood and remove the waste and excessive water from it. Renal cell carcinoma is the cancer that occurs in the lining of these renal tubules.
Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults that often spreads to the lungs and surrounding organs. It is mostly found in men between the ages of 50 and 70. The exact cause of this cancer is unknown but certain risk factors associated with it include:
Family history of renal cell carcinoma
Obesity
Smoking
High blood pressure
Dialysis treatment
Polycystic kidney disease (an inherited disorder in which cysts form in the kidneys)
Von Hippel-Lindau disease (an inherited disorder in which tumours and cysts form in various body organs)