At Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center, our team of genitourinary oncology specialists are setting international treatment guidelines for kidney cancer. Our internationally renowned experts who specialize in treating kidney cancer work together to provide patients with the highest standard of care and treatment. Our center treats over 500 new patients with kidney cancer each year, and we meet your unique needs using the most advanced expertise and treatments to improve outcomes for all of our patients. Although kidney cancer is among the 10 most common cancers in both men and women, the majority of kidney cancers are found before the cancer has spread to other organs. Regardless of whether your cancer has spread, our center is dedicated to providing the highest-quality care each step of your treatment, through a customized treatment plan that promises the best chance for your recovery.
Kidney, or renal, cancer is cancer that develops in kidney cells. The kidneys are two large, bean-shaped organs that are the size of a bar of soap and located on either side of the spine, just below the rib cage and towards the center of the back. The kidneys filter and remove waste and excess fluid from the blood and produce urine. The kidneys also help to control blood pressure and ensure that there are enough red blood cells in the body.
Kidney cancer tends to grow slowly, and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) — also known as renal cell cancer or renal cell adenocarcinoma — is the most common type of kidney cancer. It occurs when cancer cells form in the tiny tubes (tubules) or tissues of the kidneys. If you have this type of kidney cancer, you may have more than one tumor in one or both kidneys.
Two common forms of RCC cancers include clear cell renal cell carcinoma and papillary renal cell carcinoma. Other forms of kidney cancer include sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma, transitional cell carcinomas (also known as urothelial carcinomas) and Wilms tumors (nephroblastoma). Wilms tumors is very rare among adults and almost always occur in children.
Given that the vast majority of kidney cancers are renal cell carcinomas, the information on this webpage — from associated risk factors to treatment options — is centered on this type of cancer. Learn more about kidney cancer.
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