Definition of Hereditary kidney cancer

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.