It's vital for people to know what warning signs to look out for because the sooner the problem is found the easier it is to deal with

Mike Renshaw, cancer patient

Experts estimate that up to 40% of cases of kidney cancer are caused by smoking.

However, the disease is also linked to other risk factors, such as obesity and high blood pressure.

Dr Nick James, kidney cancer expert and a consultant at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, said: "We can help to avoid kidney cancer by not smoking and maintaining a healthy weight, but it's also essential that we keep watch for the signs of kidney cancer.

"The most common symptom of the disease is blood in the urine, but unfortunately the bleeding is often intermittent and can be disregarded by patients and doctors."

He said it was vital that people who noticed traces of blood in their urine visited their GP as soon as possible.

Treatment

Early disease can often be treated with surgery and survival rates are as high as 94%.

However, once the cancer has spread the chance of successful treatment drops dramatically.

The incidence of kidney cancer varies substantially between different countries.

It is far higher in affluent western countries than in the developing world - a further indication that lifestyle factors are important.

Professor Gordon McVie, joint director general of Cancer Research UK, said: "This upward trend in kidney cancer is a genuine concern but it seems that this is a disease we can do something about.

"There is an increasing amount of evidence which shows that obesity is an important risk factor for a number of cancers.

"We now believe that after smoking, it is the most important lifestyle factor."

Patient

Mike Renshaw, from Corby in Northamptonshire, was diagnosed with the disease in 1996.

The kidney and surrounding tissue were removed, but a year later it became clear that the tumour had spread to other parts of his body including the adrenal gland, lung and lymph nodes.

Mike has since undergone a variety of treatments and taken part in two clinical trials.

He said: "It's always difficult living with cancer, not knowing whether aches and pains are an indication of it growing or spreading.

"But I feel reasonably well at the moment and I'm tolerating the side effects of my treatment without too many problems.

"I believe that it's vital for people to know what warning signs to look out for because the sooner the problem is found the easier it is to deal with."