Causes and risk factors of upper urinary tract urothelial cancer (UTUC)
What are risk factors?
There are certain things that can affect the chances of developing upper urinary tract urothelial cancer (UTUC). These are called risk factors. Having a risk factor does not mean you will definitely get UTUC. And if you do not have any risk factors, you may still develop cancer.
If you are worried about cancer and would like to talk to someone, we are here. You can:
- call the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00
- chat to our specialists online.
Sex
Age
Smoking
Exposure to certain chemicals at work
An increased risk of UTUC has been linked to working with certain chemicals. These include:
- industrial dyes
- plastics
- coal
- tar
- asphalt.
Painkillers and other drugs
People who have kidney damage from long-term use of certain painkillers may have a higher risk of UTUC.
This risk is highest in people who have been overexposed to painkillers containing phenacetin. These painkillers are no longer sold. But phenacetin may be added to some illegal recreational drugs such as cocaine. So regular users could still be at risk.
Other risk factors
Some people in Balkan countries may be affected by a form of kidney damage called Balkan nephropathy. This increases the risk of UTUC.
A rare condition called Lynch syndrome (LS) also increases the risk of UTUC. People with this condition usually have several relatives on the same side of the family who have developed cancers, such as bowel and womb cancers, at an early age.
About our information
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ReferencesBelow is a sample of the sources used in our upper urinary tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) information. If you would like more information about the sources we use, please contact us at cancerinformationteam@macmillan.org.uk
European Association of Urology. Upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma guidelines. EAU Guidelines. Edn. presented at the EAU Annual Congress Copenhagen 2018. ISBN 978-94-92671-01-1. Available from www.uroweb.org/wp-content/uploads/Upper-Urinary-Tract-Urothelial-Carcinoma-large-text-V3.pdf (accessed April 2021).
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Atezolizumab for untreated PD-L1-positive locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer when cisplatin is unsuitable. Technology appraisal guidance (TA492). Published 06 December 2017. Last updated 12 July 2018. Available from www.nice.org.uk/guidance/TA492 (accessed April 2021)
Birtle A, et al. Adjuvant chemotherapy in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (the POUT trial): a phase 3, open-label, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet, 2020; 395, 10232, 1268-1277. Available from www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30415-3/fulltext (accessed June 2021).
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Reviewers
This information has been written, revised and edited by Macmillan Cancer Support’s Cancer Information Development team. It has been reviewed by expert medical and health professionals and people living with cancer. It has been approved by Senior Medical Editor, Dr Lisa Pickering, Consultant Medical Oncologist.
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