Causes And Risk Factors Linked To Kidney Cancer

Long-Term Use Of Pain Medication

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Some cases of kidney cancer in high-risk individuals are attributed to their long-term use of pain medication. The main drug class implicated in this risk increase is called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This class includes medications such as naproxen, acetaminophen, phenacetin, and ibuprofen. Studies have only shown a significant risk increase in kidney cancer development for individuals who take these medications for ten years or longer. While the overall risk for kidney cancer is greater in men, the increased risk associated with long term pain medication use does not favor one gender over the other. While the exact mechanism of this carcinogenesis process is not clear, it is known to be associated with the metabolites produced by the substances in these medications when they are broken down in an individual's body. Once they have built up in the body over an extended duration, these metabolites act as inducers of inflammation in the kidney tissues, which causes cellular damage and can result in the development of malignancy. Additionally, some of these metabolites are known to be carcinogens themselves independent of the inflammatory response in the body.

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