Genetic factors linked to kidney cancer

Renal cell cancer is the most common type of kidney cancer. Kidney cancer often runs in families. If you have a close relative (a parent, sibling, or child) with kidney cancer, your chances of getting the disease are higher. One study found 4 parts of the genome (loci) linked to kidney cancer. These loci are just sections of DNA. They did not find specific genes linked to the disease. Vanderbilt researchers will use BioVU to add to this earlier study. They will look for new genes linked to kidney cancer. They hope to also find how genes and environmental factors interact to affect kidney cancer. They will also look for genes that affect how long a patient with kidney cancer survives.