Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Kidney cancer has long flown under the radar despite being one of the top-ten cancer killers worldwide. It lacks the research spotlight and public awareness of other cancers that can help to drive new discoveries. It remains hard to detect, difficult to treat and poorly understood. But that is starting to change as researchers dig into the mysteries surrounding the disease.
Obese people have a higher incidence of kidney cancer, but are also more likely to survive the disease. Is the 'obesity paradox' real or an artefact of how studies are conducted?
Advanced tumours may have met their match with new drugs, but why have these treatments proved ineffective at stopping early-stage tumours from coming back?
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a progressive inherited disorder in which renal tissue is gradually replaced with fluid-filled cysts. Interestingly, improved understanding of the signalling and pathological derangements characteristic of ADPKD has revealed marked similarities to those of solid tumours. Here, the authors examine the pathological features and signalling pathways common to both ADPKD and cancer. Their analysis highlights potential avenues for further research and therapeutic potential in both diseases.
The genomic characterization of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is central to the development of novel targeted therapies and multiple 'omics' platforms have identified key driver genes and commonly altered pathways. In this Review, Haddad and Margulis critically evaluate the key advances in the molecular characterization of tumour and patient factors in RCC.