Older men with chronic kidney disease (CKD) may have a higher risk for developing certain types of cancers, such as lung and/or urinary cancer. This study, published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, adds to previous evidence that patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and kidney transplant recipients are at an increased risk for developing cancer.
 
Researchers studied more than 3,600 men between the ages of 49 and 97, and predominantly white. They found about 20 percent of the participants developed cancer during the study period.
 
While more research is needed, physicians conducting the study think kidney disease and cancer could be linked.

This article originally appeared in the May 2009 issue of Kidney Beginnings: The Electronic Newsletter.