What is Kidney Cancer The kidneys are the cleaners of our body. From the moment we are born, they never stop trying to sift out the toxins in our body and then work tirelessly to expel them from our body. In the long struggle work with toxins, it is inevitable that the kidney cells will become sick. When the kidneys (especially the epithelial cells that are in direct contact with urine) are damaged in the course of their work over time, they may eventually become malignant and turn into cancer cells. When the cancer cells grow and divide uncontrollably in the kidney, they will form a mass, which is what we call kidney cancer. Moreover, cancer cells can also form new blood vessels to provide nutrition and oxygen to themselves. This feature has also been well used in the research of anti-tumor drugs, and anti-vascular drugs have made a new breakthrough in the treatment of kidney cancer. What are the causes of kidney cancer Knowing the horror of kidney cancer, what people are most concerned about is definitely what are the causes of kidney cancer; what factors can lead to kidney cancer. The current research shows that the causes of kidney cancer are very complex. The factors that have been clearly related to the occurrence of kidney cancer are: genetics, smoking, obesity and hypertension, food, radiation and occupation, and other factors also have some relationship with kidney cancer. (1) Heredity: Will kidney cancer be hereditary? This is a very relevant question to the people. In fact, only very few kidney cancer cases are related to heredity. We call kidney cancer that can be inherited to the next generation as familial kidney cancer, which is a genetic disease caused by genetic defects on chromosomes and accounts for a relatively small proportion of kidney cancer, only 2% to 4%. (2) Smoking: A large number of scientific studies have shown that smoking is one of the most clear and important causes of kidney cancer. The risk of kidney cancer in smokers is twice that of nonsmokers. Long-term smokers, especially those who have smoked for more than 30 years, have a higher risk of developing the disease. We also found that the risk of kidney cancer decreases year by year after quitting smoking, and the risk of kidney cancer decreases by 15% to 30% after quitting smoking for 10-15 years. (3) Obesity and hypertension: obesity and hypertension often occur together. Some research studies have shown that obese people are twice as likely to develop kidney cancer compared to those with normal weight, and there is no clear explanation for the specific reasons. The corresponding probability of hypertension in obese people is also higher than that of normal people. Both hypertension and obesity are independent factors leading to higher risk of kidney cancer. (4) Other factors: Besides the above factors, some other factors are also related to the occurrence of kidney cancer. Some studies found that high protein and high fat diets also lead to an increased risk of kidney cancer. In contrast, recipes rich in fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk. Occupations such as long-term metal exposure, petrochemical workers, and radiation workers have also been reported to increase the risk of kidney cancer.