What Are the Causes of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma?

Clear-cell renal-cell carcinoma is a common form of kidney cancer characterized by pale or clear cancer cells. While doctors do not know the exact causes of this cancer, they have identified several potential risk factors.

The Facts

• Renal-cell carcinomas comprise roughly 90 percent of all cases of kidney cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Clear-cell carcinomas account for roughly 80 percent of all cases of renal-cell carcinoma.

Clear Cell Carcinoma

• Doctors differentiate clear-cell carcinoma from other forms of renal-cell carcinoma based on microscopic differences in appearance. The ACS reports similar underlying risk factors for the various forms of renal-cell carcinoma.

Acquired Mutations

• DNA changes acquired after birth account for most of the cellular mutations leading to kidney cancer, notes the ACS. Roughly 75 percent of clear-cell-carcinoma patients have acquired changes to a gene called VHL, which normally helps suppress tumor development.

Risk Factors

• The ACS cites potential risk factors for acquired genetic changes that include smoking, obesity, chemical exposure, high blood pressure, male gender, African-American heritage and the presence of advanced kidney disease.

Inherited Mutations

• Inherited changes in the tumor-suppressing fumarate hydratase gene can also create an increased risk for the development of renal-cell carcinomas, reports the ACS.