Kidney and renal pelvis cancer affects people across the United States, but its frequency and outcomes vary by age, sex, race and ethnicity, and stage at diagnosis. The latest reported statistics show an age-adjusted incidence rate of 18.0 new cases per 100,000 people per year, based on 2019–2023 data, and an age-adjusted death rate of 3.4 per 100,000 based on 2020–2024 mortality data. The figures below separate historical measurements from 2026 estimates and forecasts.
Contents
- At-a-glance statistics
- Incidence by sex, race, and ethnicity
- Age distribution at diagnosis
- Mortality by sex, race, and ethnicity
- Age distribution of deaths
- Stage and relative survival
- Lifetime risk and 2026 estimates
At-a-glance statistics
The SEER Cancer Stat Facts figures provide a broad view of how common kidney and renal pelvis cancer is and how many people are living with it. These measures do not all use the same measurement period, so each date matters.
- New cases occur at 18.0 per 100,000 people per year, age-adjusted, using incidence data from 2019–2023 (SEER Cancer Stat Facts).
- Deaths occur at 3.4 per 100,000 people per year, age-adjusted, using mortality data from 2020–2024 (SEER Cancer Stat Facts).
- About 1.8% of men and women are expected to be diagnosed with kidney and renal pelvis cancer at some point in their lifetime, based on 2021–2023 data (SEER Cancer Stat Facts).
- An estimated 687,999 people were living with kidney and renal pelvis cancer in the United States in 2023 (SEER Cancer Stat Facts).
- Kidney and renal pelvis cancer represents 3.8% of all new cancer cases in the United States (SEER Cancer Stat Facts).
- The 5-year relative survival rate is 79.2% (SEER Cancer Stat Facts).
The American Cancer Society describes kidney cancer as one of the 10 most common cancers in both men and women in the United States. It accounts for about 3% to 5% of all cancers (American Cancer Society Key Statistics). The two organizations use related but not necessarily identical definitions and reporting methods, so their figures are best read as separate source-reported measures.
Incidence by sex, race, and ethnicity
Incidence statistics describe newly diagnosed cases, not the total number of people living with the disease. In the SEER Cancer Stat Facts data, the incidence rate for males of all races is 24.4 per 100,000, compared with 12.3 per 100,000 for females of all races.
Male incidence rates
| Population | Incidence rate per 100,000 |
|---|---|
| Males, all races | 24.4 |
| Hispanic males | 25.5 |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native males | 37.4 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander males | 12.7 |
| Non-Hispanic Black males | 26.8 |
| Non-Hispanic White males | 25.1 |
These are SEER Cancer Stat Facts incidence rates. They show the highest listed rate among non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native males at 37.4 per 100,000. The listed rate for non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander males is 12.7 per 100,000, while the rates for non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White males are 26.8 and 25.1 per 100,000, respectively.
Female incidence rates
The corresponding SEER Cancer Stat Facts rates for females are:
- Hispanic females: 14.9 per 100,000.
- Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native females: 20.0 per 100,000.
- Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander females: 5.9 per 100,000.
- Non-Hispanic Black females: 13.3 per 100,000.
- Non-Hispanic White females: 12.0 per 100,000.
The American Cancer Society reports that kidney cancer is about twice as common in men as in women. It also reports that kidney cancer is more common in African American, American Indian, and Alaska Native people (American Cancer Society Key Statistics). Those statements provide context for the sex and population-group rates above, but they do not replace the specific SEER rate definitions or measurement periods.
Age distribution at diagnosis
Kidney cancer is predominantly diagnosed in older adults. The median age at diagnosis is 65 in the SEER Cancer Stat Facts data. The American Cancer Society reports an average age at diagnosis of 65, says most diagnoses occur between ages 55 and 74, and describes kidney cancer as uncommon in people younger than 45 (American Cancer Society Key Statistics).
The SEER Cancer Stat Facts distribution of new cases is:
- Younger than 20: 0.8%.
- Ages 20–34: 1.7%.
- Ages 35–44: 5.8%.
- Ages 45–54: 13.7%.
- Ages 55–64: 25.4%.
- Ages 65–74: 30.2%.
- Ages 75–84: 17.2%.
- Older than 84: 5.1%.
The largest individual age band is 65–74, at 30.2% of new cases, followed by ages 55–64 at 25.4%. Together, these reported age groups show why age is central to understanding kidney cancer demographics. The figures are percentages of new cases, not the percentage of the general population in each age group.
Mortality by sex, race, and ethnicity
Mortality statistics measure deaths and should be distinguished from incidence statistics. The SEER Cancer Stat Facts death rate is 5.0 per 100,000 for males of all races and 2.1 per 100,000 for females of all races.
Male death rates
The listed male death rates are 4.7 per 100,000 for Hispanic males, 9.2 for non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native males, 2.4 for non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander males, 4.9 for non-Hispanic Black males, and 5.3 for non-Hispanic White males (SEER Cancer Stat Facts).
The highest listed male death rate is 9.2 per 100,000 among non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native males. The rate for non-Hispanic White males is 5.3, and the rate for non-Hispanic Black males is 4.9 per 100,000. These rates are population-level, age-adjusted measures and do not predict an individual person’s outcome.
Female death rates
For females, the SEER Cancer Stat Facts death rates are 2.0 per 100,000 for Hispanic females, 3.8 for non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native females, 1.0 for non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander females, 2.1 for non-Hispanic Black females, and 2.2 for non-Hispanic White females.
The largest listed female death rate is 3.8 per 100,000 among non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native females. The listed rate is 1.0 per 100,000 among non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander females. As with incidence, the categories are source-defined and should be interpreted within the SEER reporting framework.
Age distribution of deaths
Deaths are concentrated at older ages even more strongly than new diagnoses. The median age at death is 73 in the SEER Cancer Stat Facts data, compared with a median age at diagnosis of 65.
The reported distribution of kidney and renal pelvis cancer deaths is:
- Younger than 20: 0.3%.
- Ages 20–34: 0.5%.
- Ages 35–44: 1.5%.
- Ages 45–54: 5.9%.
- Ages 55–64: 17.9%.
- Ages 65–74: 29.5%.
- Ages 75–84: 27.7%.
- Older than 84: 16.7%.
The 65–74 age group accounts for 29.5% of reported deaths, while ages 75–84 account for 27.7% and people older than 84 account for 16.7%. The younger age groups account for smaller shares: 0.3% among people younger than 20, 0.5% among ages 20–34, and 1.5% among ages 35–44 (SEER Cancer Stat Facts).
Trend measures also differ for incidence and mortality. Age-adjusted new-case rates rose by an average of 0.7% per year from 2014 through 2023. Age-adjusted death rates fell by an average of 1.1% per year from 2015 through 2024 (SEER Cancer Stat Facts). These are average annual changes over the stated periods, not a forecast for a particular future year.
Stage and relative survival
Stage at diagnosis is closely associated with reported relative survival. In SEER Cancer Stat Facts data, localized kidney and renal pelvis cancer accounts for 66% of cases at diagnosis and has a 5-year relative survival rate of 93.6%. Regional disease accounts for 17% of cases and has a 5-year relative survival rate of 77.6%.
| Stage at diagnosis | Share of cases | 5-year relative survival |
|---|---|---|
| Localized | 66% | 93.6% |
| Regional | 17% | 77.6% |
| Distant | 15% | 20.3% |
| Unstaged | 3% | 55.2% |
Distant kidney and renal pelvis cancer accounts for 15% of cases at diagnosis and has a 5-year relative survival rate of 20.3%. Unstaged cancer accounts for 3% of cases and has a 5-year relative survival rate of 55.2%. The overall 5-year relative survival rate is 79.2% (SEER Cancer Stat Facts).
Relative survival is a population statistic comparing people with cancer with similar people in the general population. It is not a guarantee for an individual, and the stage-specific figures should not be combined into an individual prognosis without clinical information.
Lifetime risk and 2026 estimates
The SEER Cancer Stat Facts estimate says about 1.8% of men and women will be diagnosed with kidney and renal pelvis cancer at some point in their lifetime, based on 2021–2023 data. The American Cancer Society reports lifetime risk of about 1 in 45, or 2.2%, for men and about 1 in 75, or 1.3%, for women (American Cancer Society Key Statistics). These are source-reported lifetime-risk measures, and the differing values reflect the separate source estimates and definitions.
For 2026, the SEER Cancer Stat Facts and American Cancer Society figures identify the following estimates:
- An estimated 80,450 new kidney and renal pelvis cancer cases are expected in the United States.
- An estimated 15,160 people are expected to die from kidney and renal pelvis cancer.
- Kidney and renal pelvis cancer ranks seventh among estimated new cancer cases in the United States.
- The American Cancer Society estimates 50,770 new cases in men and 29,680 in women.
- The American Cancer Society estimates 10,200 deaths in men and 4,960 in women.
The 2026 totals are estimates or forecasts, not completed counts. The SEER Cancer Stat Facts and American Cancer Society both report the same overall estimates of 80,450 new cases and 15,160 deaths, while the American Cancer Society additionally provides the sex-specific breakdowns. The historical incidence, mortality, age, stage, and survival statistics above describe different periods and should not be treated as measurements of 2026 outcomes.