Association Between Renal Cell Cancer and Chronic Kidney Disease: An Update on a Never-Healing Wound

TL;DR

This review explores how chronic kidney disease and kidney cancer influence each other, focusing on shared risk factors and molecular mechanisms.

Contribution

The paper provides an updated review of the bidirectional relationship between CKD and RCC, emphasizing new insights into pathophysiology and gene expression.

Findings

CKD and RCC share risk factors like hypertension and diabetes, which contribute to disease progression.

RCC can lead to CKD through tumor effects, surgeries, and treatment-related kidney injury.

Gene expression changes in renal tissues are linked to kidney remodeling and cancer risk.

Abstract

The relationship between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is both bidirectional and multifactorial. Several risk factors, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and smoking, have been associated with an increased risk for the development of CKD and RCC. CKD may predispose individuals to RCC through various mechanisms, including renal cystic diseases or induced oxidative stress effects. Conversely, RCC can induce CKD through the direct effects of the tumor, after surgeries for the management of the tumor (either partial or radical nephrectomy), and through perioperative acute kidney injury. Furthermore, medical interventions, including immunotherapy or targeted therapies, may precipitate acute kidney injury, potentially leading to the development of CKD. The expression of several genes in renal tissues has been related to the remodeling of kidneys during end-stage kidney disease and with an increased risk of the development of preneoplastic lesions and tumors. The aim of this review is to update the knowledge of these relationships, highlight the pathophysiologic mechanisms, and identify the genes and molecular expressions involved in this pathway.

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