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Definition of Hereditary kidney cancer
Medically reviewed by Min Clinic Staff | Updated: January 2026
Hereditary kidney cancer: Kidney cancer due to a gene than can be transmitted from parent to child. The vast majority of kidney cancer cases are not hereditary, but a small proportion of renal cell cancers are caused by hereditary syndromes.
Among these syndromes are:
- von Hippel-Lindau syndrome
- Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome
- Hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma
All of these syndromes are inherited in an autosomal dominant manner.