Diseases and Conditions
Kidney cancer
Overview
Symptoms
Causes
Risk factors
Prevention
Diagnosis
Treatment
Alternative medicine
Coping and support
Preparing for an appointment
Causes
It's not clear what causes most kidney cancers.
Doctors know that kidney cancer begins when some kidney cells develop changes (mutations) in their DNA. A cell's DNA contains the instructions that tell a cell what to do. The changes tell the cells to grow and divide rapidly. The accumulating abnormal cells form a tumor that can extend beyond the kidney. Some cells can break off and spread (metastasize) to distant parts of the body.