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Statistics at a Glance

At a Glance

Estimated New Cases in 2022 79,000

% of All New Cancer Cases 4.1%

Estimated Deaths in 2022 13,920

% of All Cancer Deaths 2.3%

5-Year
Relative Survival

76.5% 2012–2018
Year Rate of New Cases — SEER 8 Rate of New Cases — SEER 12 Death Rate — U.S. 5-Year Relative Survival — SEER 8
Observed Modeled Trend Observed Modeled Trend Observed Modeled Trend Observed Modeled Trend
1975 6.82 7.15 - - 3.61 3.58 54.66% 49.33%
1976 8.08 7.32 - - 3.61 3.61 52.89% 49.96%
1977 7.71 7.49 - - 3.68 3.65 48.32% 50.58%
1978 7.65 7.66 - - 3.69 3.69 54.30% 51.20%
1979 7.46 7.84 - - 3.63 3.72 51.11% 51.81%
1980 7.90 8.02 - - 3.68 3.76 55.93% 52.42%
1981 8.34 8.21 - - 3.73 3.80 48.58% 53.03%
1982 8.15 8.40 - - 3.85 3.83 50.82% 53.63%
1983 8.50 8.59 - - 3.85 3.87 53.92% 54.23%
1984 8.80 8.79 - - 3.90 3.91 54.98% 54.83%
1985 8.43 8.99 - - 3.96 3.95 55.60% 55.42%
1986 9.19 9.20 - - 4.05 3.99 53.05% 56.00%
1987 9.57 9.42 - - 4.14 4.03 58.44% 56.58%
1988 9.72 9.63 - - 4.03 4.07 56.92% 57.16%
1989 10.09 9.86 - - 4.16 4.11 55.53% 57.73%
1990 10.21 10.09 - - 4.19 4.15 59.30% 58.30%
1991 10.27 10.32 - - 4.30 4.19 60.35% 58.86%
1992 10.33 10.38 9.98 10.00 4.29 4.23 60.51% 59.42%
1993 10.44 10.45 10.09 10.08 4.16 4.27 60.30% 59.98%
1994 10.53 10.51 10.13 10.17 4.27 4.31 62.83% 60.52%
1995 10.63 10.58 10.30 10.25 4.34 4.36 61.12% 61.07%
1996 10.83 10.65 10.45 10.34 4.27 4.33 61.89% 61.61%
1997 10.41 10.71 10.40 10.43 4.27 4.30 61.66% 62.14%
1998 11.30 11.07 10.97 10.77 4.26 4.27 63.38% 62.67%
1999 11.15 11.44 11.05 11.12 4.06 4.24 62.81% 63.19%
2000 12.04 11.82 11.50 11.48 4.22 4.21 66.42% 65.07%
2001 12.27 12.21 11.90 11.85 4.27 4.18 66.83% 66.87%
2002 12.38 12.61 11.91 12.24 4.23 4.16 68.90% 68.60%
2003 13.31 13.03 12.78 12.64 4.20 4.13 68.45% 70.27%
2004 13.35 13.47 12.82 13.05 4.13 4.10 71.26% 71.86%
2005 13.77 13.91 13.23 13.47 4.13 4.07 74.92% 73.39%
2006 14.41 14.37 13.84 13.91 4.00 4.05 73.81% 73.96%
2007 15.26 14.85 14.68 14.37 4.02 4.02 75.01% 74.53%
2008 15.40 14.94 15.01 14.45 3.99 3.99 75.20% 75.08%
2009 14.90 15.03 14.75 14.54 3.93 3.96 76.38% 75.63%
2010 14.54 15.11 14.25 14.63 3.92 3.94 74.97% 76.16%
2011 15.10 15.20 14.54 14.71 3.94 3.91 73.42% 76.69%
2012 15.16 15.29 14.62 14.80 3.83 3.89 77.50% 77.20%
2013 15.11 15.38 14.60 14.89 3.86 3.86 77.19% 77.71%
2014 15.09 15.47 14.67 14.98 3.76 3.79 76.81% 78.21%
2015 15.87 15.55 15.54 15.07 3.82 3.72 - 78.69%
2016 15.88 15.64 15.27 15.16 3.60 3.65 - 79.17%
2017 15.85 15.74 15.42 15.25 3.55 3.58 - 79.64%
2018 15.94 15.83 15.26 15.34 3.52 3.52 - 80.10%
2019 15.85 15.92 15.42 15.44 3.40 3.45 - 80.55%
2020 - - - - 3.44 3.39 - 80.99%

New cases come from SEER 12. Deaths come from U.S. Mortality.
All Races, Both Sexes. Rates are Age-Adjusted.
Modeled trend lines were calculated from the underlying rates using the Joinpoint Trend Analysis Software.

New cases are also referred to as incident cases in other publications. Rates of new cases are also referred to as incidence rates.

Rate of New Cases and Deaths per 100,000: The rate of new cases of kidney and renal pelvis cancer was 17.3 per 100,000 men and women per year. The death rate was 3.5 per 100,000 men and women per year. These rates are age-adjusted and based on 2015–2019 cases and 2016–2020 deaths.

Lifetime Risk of Developing Cancer: Approximately 1.8 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with kidney and renal pelvis cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 2017–2019 data.

Prevalence of This Cancer: In 2019, there were an estimated 599,072 people living with kidney and renal pelvis cancer in the United States.

Did You Know? Video Series

Survival Statistics

How Many People Survive 5 Years Or More after Being Diagnosed with Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer?

Relative survival is an estimate of the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of their cancer. It excludes the risk of dying from other causes. Because survival statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. No two patients are entirely alike, and treatment and responses to treatment can vary greatly.

76.5%

5-Year
Relative Survival

76.5%

Based on data from SEER 17 2012–2018. Gray figures represent those who have died from kidney and renal pelvis cancer. Green figures represent those who have survived 5 years or more.

Additional Information

Survival by Stage

Cancer stage at diagnosis, which refers to extent of a cancer in the body, determines treatment options and has a strong influence on the length of survival. In general, if the cancer is found only in the part of the body where it started it is localized (sometimes referred to as stage 1). If it has spread to a different part of the body, the stage is regional or distant. The earlier kidney and renal pelvis cancer is caught, the better chance a person has of surviving five years after being diagnosed. For kidney and renal pelvis cancer, 65.6% are diagnosed at the local stage. The 5-year relative survival for localized kidney and renal pelvis cancer is 93.0%.

Percent of Cases & 5-Year Relative Survival by Stage at Diagnosis: Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer
Stage Percent of Cases 5-Year Relative Survival
Localized
Confined to Primary Site		 66% 93.0%
Regional
Spread to Regional Lymph Nodes		 16% 72.3%
Distant
Cancer Has Metastasized		 15% 15.3%
Unknown
Unstaged		 3% 45.1%

SEER 17 2012–2018, All Races, Both Sexes by SEER Combined Summary Stage

Additional Information

New Cases and Deaths

How Common Is This Cancer?

Compared to other cancers, kidney and renal pelvis cancer is fairly common.

Common Types of Cancer Estimated New
Cases 2022		 Estimated
Deaths 2022
1. Breast Cancer (Female) 287,850 43,250
2. Prostate Cancer 268,490 34,500
3. Lung and Bronchus Cancer 236,740 130,180
4. Colorectal Cancer 151,030 52,580
5. Melanoma of the Skin 99,780 7,650
6. Bladder Cancer 81,180 17,100
7. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 80,470 20,250
8. Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer 79,000 13,920
9. Uterine Cancer 65,950 12,550
10. Pancreatic Cancer 62,210 49,830

Kidney and renal pelvis cancer represents 4.1% of all new cancer cases in the U.S.

4.1%

In 2022, it is estimated that there will be 79,000 new cases of kidney and renal pelvis cancer and an estimated 13,920 people will die of this disease.

Who Gets This Cancer?

Kidney cancer is more common in men than women and among African Americans and American Indian and Alaska Native populations. The rate of new cases of kidney and renal pelvis cancer was 17.3 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2015–2019 cases, age-adjusted.

Rate of New Cases per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer
Males
All Races 23.6
Non-Hispanic White 24.3
Non-Hispanic Black 26.2
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander 12.3
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native 36.2
Hispanic 24.1
Females
All Races 11.9
Non-Hispanic White 11.9
Non-Hispanic Black 13.2
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander 5.8
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native 18.6
Hispanic 13.9

SEER 22 2015–2019, Age-Adjusted

Percent of New Cases by Age Group: Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer
Age Range Percent of New Cases
<20 0.9%
20–34 1.8%
35–44 6.0%
45–54 14.5%
55–64 26.6%
65–74 28.9%
75–84 16.0%
>84 5.3%

Kidney and renal pelvis cancer is most frequently diagnosed among people aged 65–74.

Median Age
At Diagnosis

65

SEER 22 2015–2019, All Races, Both Sexes

Who Dies From This Cancer?

Kidney and renal pelvis cancer is the twelfth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The death rate was 3.5 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2016–2020 deaths, age-adjusted.

Death Rate per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer
Males
All Races 5.1
Non-Hispanic White 5.3
Non-Hispanic Black 5.2
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander 2.4
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native 9.3
Hispanic 4.8
Females
All Races 2.2
Non-Hispanic White 2.3
Non-Hispanic Black 2.1
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander 1.0
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native 3.9
Hispanic 2.1

U.S. 2016–2020, Age-Adjusted

Percent of Deaths by Age Group: Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer
Age Range Percent of Deaths
<20 0.3%
20–34 0.6%
35–44 1.6%
45–54 6.7%
55–64 19.3%
65–74 28.8%
75–84 25.9%
>84 16.8%

The percent of kidney and renal pelvis cancer deaths is highest among people aged 65–74.

Median Age
At Death

72

U.S. 2016–2020, All Races, Both Sexes

Trends in Rates

Changes Over Time

Keeping track of new cases, deaths, and survival over time (trends) can help scientists understand whether progress is being made and where additional research is needed to address challenges, such as improving screening or finding better treatments.

Using statistical models for analysis, age-adjusted rates for new kidney and renal pelvis cancer cases have been rising on average 0.6% each year over 2010–2019. Age-adjusted death rates have been falling on average 1.6% each year over 2011–2020. 5-year relative survival trends are shown below.

New Cases, Deaths and 5-Year Relative Survival

Interactive Statistics with SEER*Explorer

With SEER*Explorer, you can...
  • Create custom graphs and tables
  • Download data and images
  • Share links to results

SEER*Explorer is an interactive website that provides easy access to a wide range of SEER cancer statistics. It provides detailed statistics for a cancer site by gender, race, calendar year, age, and for a selected number of cancer sites, by stage and histology.

Explore Additional Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer Statistics

More About This Cancer

Cancer and the Kidney

Figure: Kidney and Adrenal Gland

Figure: The kidney (including the surrounding fibrous tissue and fat layer, the renal pelvis, and the ureter) and the adrenal gland, as well as a close-up view of the renal pelvis.

This cancer forms in tissues of the kidneys. Kidney cancer includes renal cell carcinoma (cancer that forms in the lining of very small tubes in the kidney that filter the blood and remove waste products) and renal pelvis carcinoma (cancer that forms in the center of the kidney where urine collects). It also includes Wilms tumor, which is a type of kidney cancer that usually develops in children under the age of 5.

Additional Information

More Information

Here are some resources for learning more about kidney cancer.

References

All statistics in this report are based on statistics from SEER and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. Most can be found within SEER*Explorer.

Suggested Citation

All material in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.

SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/kidrp.html

These stat facts focus on population statistics that are based on the U.S. population. Because these statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. To see tailored statistics, browse SEER*Explorer. To see statistics for a specific state, go to the State Cancer Profiles.

The statistics presented in these stat facts are based on the most recent data available, most of which can be found in SEER*Explorer. In some cases, different year spans may be used.

Estimates of new cases and deaths for 2022 are projections made by the American Cancer Society (ACS), based on earlier reported data.

Cancer is a complex topic. There is a wide range of information available. These stat facts do not address causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up care, or decision making, although links are provided to information in many of these areas.