The short answer
The most common kidney cancer in adults is renal cell carcinoma, which has several subtypes. Less common types include transitional cell carcinoma. In children, the main kidney cancer is Wilms tumor. The type guides treatment.
Renal cell carcinoma is the most common kidney cancer in adults.
Clear cell is the most common subtype of renal cell carcinoma.
Transitional cell carcinoma is a less common type that starts where urine collects.
Wilms tumor is the main kidney cancer in children.
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The simple version
This page explains the main types of kidney cancer and why your type matters. Kidney cancer is not one single disease. Different types behave differently and respond to different treatments. In adults, the most common type by far is renal cell carcinoma. It makes up about 9 in 10 kidney cancers.
Renal cell carcinoma and its subtypes
Renal cell carcinoma starts in the tiny tubes inside the kidney. These tubes filter blood and make urine. This cancer has several subtypes. Knowing which one you have can affect your treatment plan.
- Clear cell — the most common subtype. It makes up about 7 in 10 renal cell cancers. It is the most common subtype of renal cell carcinoma.
- Papillary — the second most common, at about 1 in 10 cases. Its tumors have small, finger-like projections.
- Chromophobe — a less common subtype, at about 1 in 20 cases.
Transitional cell carcinoma
A less common kidney cancer starts in a different place. It is called transitional cell carcinoma. It begins in the renal pelvis, where urine collects before flowing to the bladder. It makes up roughly 5 to 10 of every 100 kidney cancers. This type is linked to smoking and to some of the same workplace chemicals linked to bladder cancer. Ask your team how it will be treated.
Wilms tumor in children
In children, the most common kidney cancer is Wilms tumor. It is a different disease from the adult types described above. See our Wilms tumor page for more.
Why the exact type and subtype matter
Different types and subtypes of kidney cancer can be treated differently. NCI lists targeted therapy and immunotherapy as treatment options for clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Ask your oncologist what applies to your subtype. A biopsy, which looks at cells or tissue under a microscope, can confirm the cancer type. Sometimes imaging gives enough information without one. Knowing the type helps your team plan treatment.
What to ask your team
- Ask what type and subtype of kidney cancer you have.
- Ask how common or rare that subtype is.
- Ask how the type affects which treatments are likely to work best.
- Ask what the type means for your outlook.
Sources
Common questions
What is the most common kidney cancer?
In adults, the most common type is renal cell carcinoma, which starts in the tiny tubes that filter blood in the kidney. It has several subtypes, the most common being clear cell.
What is transitional cell carcinoma?
It is a less common kidney cancer that starts in the renal pelvis, where urine collects before going to the bladder.
What about kidney cancer in children?
The main kidney cancer in children is Wilms tumor, which is different from adult kidney cancers.
Why does the type matter?
Types and subtypes can be treated differently, so knowing the exact type helps guide the plan.
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Last updated: 2026-10-02Next planned review: 2027-07-07
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How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and then compared with the sources listed on it, looking for statements those sources do not back up. That check is not a sentence-by-sentence record and can miss errors. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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