Does Smoking Increase the Risk of Kidney Cancer?

Yes, smoking is a well-established risk factor for kidney cancer. Research shows that people who smoke are significantly more likely to develop kidney cancer than non-smokers. The risk increases with both the amount and duration of smoking.

Tobacco smoke contains harmful chemicals that enter the bloodstream and are filtered by the kidneys. Over time, this exposure can damage kidney cells, increasing the chance that they will grow abnormally and form a tumor. In fact, smoking is believed to be responsible for about one in four cases of kidney cancer in men and one in ten cases in women.

The good news is that the risk decreases after quitting. Studies show that former smokers have a lower risk than current smokers, and the risk continues to decline the longer a person stays smoke-free. While the risk may not return completely to the level of someone who has never smoked, it becomes significantly lower over time.

Smoking also makes treatment outcomes less predictable. It can affect how well a person recovers from surgery and may reduce the effectiveness of certain cancer treatments. This is one reason why doctors strongly recommend quitting smoking after a kidney cancer diagnosis, even if the cancer is already being treated.

Avoiding or stopping smoking is one of the most important steps someone can take to reduce their risk—not only of kidney cancer but of many other cancers and chronic diseases.

Looking for more questions?

Visit our Kidney Cancer Questions page for all other topics explained in plain language.

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