Study shows patients with kidney disease are at increased risk of developing cancer

Study shows patients with kidney disease are at increased risk of developing cancer

Fact-checked May 25, 2022 by Vivianna Shields, a journalist and fact-checker with experience publishing on health and wellness topics.

People with mild to moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD) and those who have received a kidney transplant may be at increased risk of developing cancer, new research shows. In some cases, people with CKD may also have an increased risk of death from certain types of cancer.

The recently published study in theAmerican Journal of Kidney Diseases, brings to light the lesser-known effects of CKD. The study authors note that cardiovascular disease is traditionally considered the most important health risk associated with the disease, but cancer is not too far behind.

“We now appreciate that not only is a large proportion [of kidney disease patients] developing cancer, but that they have particularly poor outcomes with cancer,” said Dr. Abhijat Kitchlu, a nephrologist at the University of Toronto and lead author of the studyThe health. “We found in our study that, aside from a common diagnosis, these patients fared worse compared to people with normal kidney function.”

The increased risk of not only being diagnosed with cancer but also dying from it suggests the need for new strategies to detect and treat cancer in patients with kidney disease. Here's a closer look at the connection between kidney disease and cancer - and what CKD patients can do to reduce their risk.

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Kidney disease and increased risk of cancer

According to Dr. Kitchlu already knew before the new study that patients with chronic kidney disease may have a higher risk of cancer. But clinical data were sparse.

To gain a better understanding of cancer incidence and outcomes in patients with CKD, researchers conducted a population-based study of patients in Ontario, Canada. Using healthcare database records from 2007 to 2016, the study authors categorized patients by kidney function (via blood test data) or by patients who received maintenance dialysis or a kidney transplant.

In data from more than five million patients, researchers found that 10-15% of patients with kidney disease went on to develop cancer. The risk of cancer was higher in people with mild to moderate kidney disease (characterized as CKD G3a) and patients who had undergone a kidney transplant than in people without kidney disease.

Some patients with moderate to severe kidney disease - particularly CKD stages G3a to 4 - and those who received a kidney transplant also had a higher risk of dying from cancer, particularly bladder and kidney cancer and multiple myeloma.

According to the study authors, the findings suggest that healthcare providers are deficient in diagnosing and treating cancer in patients with less severe forms of the disease.

“As patients with mild or moderate kidney disease struggle with other medical problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems, routine things like cancer screenings may take a backseat or be less prioritized compared to patients who are healthier and have normal kidney function,” said Dr. Kitchlu.

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What patients and healthcare providers can do

The results of the study are important for patients and doctors alike, said Dr. Susan Quaggin, chief of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine physicianThe health.

“This paper raises the alarm that patients with kidney disease are not only at increased risk of cancer, but also at increased risk of mortality,” said Dr. Quaggin, who was not involved in the recent study. “We need to be really aware of this as clinicians, and patients need to understand their risk of kidney disease and get tested if they are at risk.”

Another concerning aspect is that people often don't even know they have kidney disease, so they may not understand their risk of developing other medical complications, Dr. Quaggin.

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Understanding risk factors for kidney disease

Early-stage CKD often has no noticeable signs or symptoms, so determining risk factors is often an important way to obtain a diagnosis of the disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you should talk to your doctor about getting tested for CKD if you have any of the following risk factors:

Diabetes, high blood pressure, family history of CKD, heart disease

The CDC also notes that African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, and Native Americans are at higher risk of developing CKD, as are women.

If you are diagnosed with kidney disease early enough, there are many medications that can slow the progression of kidney failure and prevent related complications, Dr. Quaggin.

Reducing the risk of cancer in kidney disease

One of the ways to prevent the cancers associated with kidney disease is to prevent kidney disease altogether. While genetics may contribute to kidney disease, Dr. Kitchlu said lifestyle factors such as controlling blood pressure, maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and preventing obesity can reduce the risk of kidney disease.

If you already have kidney disease, talk to your doctor about whether cancer screening is right for you. “My hope is that by optimizing what is currently available in terms of early cancer detection, cancer patients will be detected earlier and therefore treated sooner,” said Dr. Kitchlu.

In addition to encouraging the public to take kidney disease and its risks seriously, Dr. Kitchlu said the medical community will work toward earlier screening and better cancer treatment for patients with kidney disease - for example, by modifying existing cancer treatments to make them safe for these patients in clinical trials for upcoming cancer treatments.

“We as a community need to focus on safely treating people who are taking other medications,” said Dr. Kitchlu. “The burden of kidney disease in the general population is currently increasing.”

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