Research shows that smokers are twice as likely to develop kidney cancer as nonsmokers.
In addition, the longer a person smokes, the higher the risk. However, the risk of kidney cancer decreases for those who quit smoking. The 5-year survival rate refers to the percent of patients who live at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed. Many of these patients live much longer than 5 years after diagnosis. The 5-year survival rates are used to produce a standard way of discussing prognosis.