Evaluation of awareness of risk factors for kidney cancer among patients presenting to a urology clinic

Objective. This study aimed to evaluate awareness of risk factors for kidney cancer among patients presenting to a urology clinic. Smoking, obesity and hypertension are widely accepted as risk factors for kidney cancer; however, there are limited data regarding awareness of these risk factors. Material and methods. The researchers prospectively identified 172 patients presenting to a urology clinic between 1 May 2009 and 31 August 2009. Each patient completed a questionnaire that requested responses to whether certain lifestyle factors increased the risk of a variety of cancers. Information on demographics and other covariates was collected via questionnaires and medical chart abstraction. To estimate and compare risk factor awareness levels for different cancers, 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were constructed and Fisher's exact tests performed. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate covariates associated with risk factor awareness. Results. The percentage reporting that smoking increases the risk of kidney cancer (36%, 95% CI 29-44%) was lower than for lung cancer (96%, 95% CI 92-99%). Similarly, the percentage reporting that obesity increases the risk of kidney cancer (32%, 95% CI 25-40%) was lower than for colon cancer (45%, 95% CI 37-53% CI). Only 18% (95% CI 13-25%) identified hypertension as a risk factor for kidney cancer. Female gender and younger age were associated with increased levels of awareness of the association with smoking and obesity, respectively. Conclusion. The data support a low level of awareness of kidney cancer risk factors and underscore an opportunity for urologists to engage in education efforts.