Epidemiology

RCC accounts for 80% to 90% of all kidney cancers.[1][2] Kidney cancer comprises approximately 4% of all new cancers in the US, with a median age at diagnosis of 65 years.[20] It is estimated that 80,980 new cases were diagnosed in the US in 2025, with 14,510 associated deaths.[20]

Kidney cancer occurs more commonly in males than females. In the US, the incidence rate is 23.8 per 100,000 men and 12.0 per 100,000 women (2018-2022, age-adjusted).[20] Kidney cancer is the sixth and ninth most commonly diagnosed adult malignancy in men and women, respectively.[21]

In the US, the incidence and mortality rates for kidney cancer are highest among non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native persons (39.2 new cases per 100,000 men and 20.2 per 100,000 women [2018-2022, age-adjusted]; 9.2 deaths per 100,000 men and 4.0 per 100,000 women [2019-2023 age-adjusted]).[20]

Worldwide, the age-standardised incidence rate of kidney cancer is 5.9 per 100,000 males and 3.0 per 100,000 females.[22] There is, however, considerable global variation in incidence, suggesting a role for exogenous factors and geographic variation in genetic risk.[23][24][25]

The increased prevalence of RCC in higher income settings is possibly secondary to improved imaging detection and decreasing mortality.[26] More than 50% of renal masses are diagnosed during an evaluation for unrelated signs or symptoms, and results in early detection of potentially curable small RCCs.[1]

The decrease in mortality in Western Europe, the US, and Australia is multi-factorial, but mostly attributed to decreased smoking rates, improved therapies, and access to medical care.[24][26] The mortality-to-incidence ratio is lower in developed countries than in less developed regions.[27]

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