Cancer linked with increased risk of kidney failure

Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.Aug 18 2021

Cancer, especially multiple myeloma, is associated with increased risk of kidney failure requiring dialysis

Previous studies have shown an increased cancer risk within the dialysis and kidney transplant populations compared to the general population. However, it is unclear whether cancer increases the risk of kidney failure.

This population-based cohort study was conducted using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database and compared approximately 825,000 patients with cancer to twice as many patients without cancer but matched on other characteristics.

The study, published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases (AJKD), found that cancer was associated with an increased risk of kidney failure, even after adjusting for potential confounders and addressing the competing risk of death. Types of cancer that were most significantly associated with kidney failure included multiple myeloma, leukemia, lymphoma, kidney cancer, ovarian cancer, and liver cancer.