Kidney Stones Associated with Elevated Cancer Risk: Study

A new study published in the Canadian Urological Association Journal showed that people who acquire kidney stones have nearly double the chance of having kidney cancer as those who do not have kidney stones.

Growing research indicates that nephrolithiasis may have long-term effects on renal health, including a possible link to kidney cancer, in addition to their acute morbidity. Chronic local inflammation, recurrent epithelial damage, oxidative stress, and changes in urine composition that may encourage carcinogenesis are some of the hypothesized processes connecting kidney stones to cancer. A pro-tumorigenic renal milieu can be exacerbated by recurrent stone formation, which can also result in infections and scarring.

A history of kidney stones has been linked to an increased risk of renal cell carcinoma, according to epidemiological research, albeit the strength and consistency of this correlation varies by group. Given the high prevalence of kidney stones and their potential for prevention, elucidating this link is therapeutically significant. Thus, the relationship between a history of kidney stones and the potential risk of kidney cancer was assessed in this systematic review and meta-analysis.

Researchers conducted a thorough search for observational studies on the risk of renal cell carcinoma in adults with kidney stones using Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The relationships with research design, data sources, bias risk, control group type, and sex were evaluated using subgroup analysis and meta-regression.

The meta-analysis contained thirteen studies (eight case-control, five cohort). A substantially increased risk of kidney cancer was linked to a history of kidney stones (risk ratio 2.36; 95% CI 1.74, 2.98, p<0.001, I2=94%). Stone formers consistently had a higher risk of kidney cancer in all categories, according to subgroup analysis.

With the exception of more recent research showing considerably greater correlations between kidney cancer risk and stone disease (p<0.001), no significant changes were found between categories.

Overall, there is a substantial correlation between kidney stones and a higher risk of kidney cancer. These results emphasize the need of increased cancer surveillance in individuals with a history of kidney stones and point to the necessity for more investigation into common pathophysiologic processes and possible prevention measures.

Source:

Bhojani, N., Miller, L. E., Bhattacharyya, S., Chen, K. W., Kallidonis, P., Contreras, P. S., Somani, B. K., Gauhar, V., & Chew, B. H. (2025). Association between kidney stones and future risk of kidney cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal de l’Association Des Urologues Du Canada [Canadian Urological Association Journal], 20(4). https://doi.org/10.5489/cuaj.9394