Kidney cancer is fairly rare in the US. It's a "silent" disease because it doesn't usually have any symptoms in the early stages. But people can take steps to lower their risk. To estimate your risk of kidney cancer, take about 2 to 3 minutes to answer some questions about your health, lifestyle and personal background.

To access your Kidney Cancer Risk completely, at ScienceofLife we have produced a general questionnaire with a fair knowledge of risk Factors and related knowlegebase.

• Risk Factors
• Fact Analysis

Risk factors : Most scientists agree that these things affect the risk of kidney cancer. Some may apply to you, but others may not.

• Age?
• Sex?
• Weight
• Smoking cigarettes?
• Family history?

Age and kidney cancer : The risk of kidney cancer goes up with age. Over 90 percent of cases are diagnosed after age 45. The average age kidney cancer is found is 66.

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Sex and kidney cancer : Men have a greater risk of kidney cancer than women, although it's not exactly clear why. It could be due to genetics; differences in certain lifestyle factors, like smoking; or a combination of the two.

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Weight and kidney cancer : People who maintain a healthy weight have a lower risk of kidney cancer. Scientists aren't sure why. People who maintain a healthy weight also have a lower risk of colon cancer, diabetes, and stroke. And women have a lower risk of breast cancer and uterine cancer.

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Smoking cigarettes and kidney cancer : People who smoke cigarettes have a higher risk of kidney cancer. When they inhale, chemicals filter into their urine. Urine is made in the kidneys. The chemicals cause cells in the kidneys to become cancerous. People who smoke cigarettes have a higher risk of cancers of the bladder, kidney, pancreas, lip, mouth, tongue, larynx, throat, and esophagus. Women who smoke have a higher risk of cervical cancer. People who smoke even have a higher risk of other diseases like diabetes, bone loss (osteoporosis), emphysema and bronchitis!

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Family history and kidney cancer :  People who have a mother, father, brother, or sister with kidney cancer have a higher risk of the disease. This is because some kidney cancer is linked to mutations in the genetic structure (DNA) of the body's cells. These mutations can be passed on from generation to generation. With many diseases, people who have a family history have a higher risk. A family history raises the risk of several cancers like breast, prostate, bladder, kidney, pancreatic and skin cancer. It also raises the risk of diabetes, bone loss (osteoporosis) and stroke.

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