Today is World Kidney Day and together we are raising awareness of kidney cancer in Birt–Hogg–Dubé syndrome (BHD). Approximately 25% of BHD patients will develop kidney cancer in their lifetime, most commonly in their 50s (1). Therefore, from the age of 20 active surveillance is recommended to monitor all BHD patients for kidney cancer. There is no current gold standard for monitoring kidney cancer in BHD, but clinicians advise imaging in the form of CT or MRI scans every 1-5 years depending on the patient (2).  

Kidney cancer in BHD is often slow growing and only removed, with nephron-sparing surgery, once its diameter is greater then 3cm (1). With monitoring and treatment the outcome for patients is usually good. Therefore, it is essential that we raise awareness of BHD syndrome so that the associated kidney cancer is correctly diagnosed, monitored and treated.  

To get involved with World Kidney Day on social media, use #KidneysMatter and #WorldKidneyDay and of course #BHDsyndrome

Find out more about World Kidney Day 2021!

References

1. Maher E, Hereditary renal cell carcinoma syndromes: diagnosis, surveillance and management.   World J Urol [internet] 2018 [cited 2021 Mar 9]; 36(12): 1891–1898. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6280834/

2. Crane SJ, Rutt V. Oakley AM. Birt Hogg Dube Syndrome. StatPearls [internet] 2021 [cited 2021 Mar 9]. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448061/