National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma


Other Names:
CRCC; ChRCC
Categories:
Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma is a rare subtype of the most common form of kidney cancer called renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This type of cancer forms in the cells lining the small tubules in the kidney. These tubules help filter waste from the blood, making urine. Chromophobe RCC accounts for about 5% of all RCC cases, and it is frequently diagnosed between ages 40 and 50. It is typically diagnosed in stage I or stage II, and has an overall better prognosis than other types of RCC. Treatment generally involves surgery.[1][2][3]
Last updated: 7/1/2015

FDA-Approved Treatments

The medication(s) listed below have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as orphan products for treatment of this condition. Learn more orphan products.

Living with a genetic or rare disease can impact the daily lives of patients and families. These resources can help families navigate various aspects of living with a rare disease.

Financial Resources

  • Patient Access Network Foundation (PAN Foundation) has Assistance Programs for those with health insurance who reside in the United States. The disease fund status can change over time, so you may need to check back if funds are not currently available. 
  • The Assistance Fund provides various services, including education and financial aid, to help patients with a chronic or serious illness cover the cost of FDA-approved medications. Patients must be U.S citizens or permanent residents.

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

In-Depth Information

  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Selected Full-Text Journal Articles

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know. Submit a new question

  • My husband is a survivor of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In addition, he has a lung hamartoma and bladder lipoma. Should genetic testing for Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome (BHDS) be considered in light of his cancer history and other findings? See answer

  • Is chromophobe renal cell carcinoma a slow-growing cancer, a fast-growing cancer, or both?  I know woman who was just diagnosed with this and I was told the mass was large.
    See answer


  1. Stec R, Grala B, Maczewski M, Bodnar L, Szczylik C. Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma - review of the literature and potential methods of treating metastatic disease. Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research. 2009; 28:134. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2764641.
  2. Vera-Badillo FE, Conde E, Duran I. Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma: a review of an uncommon entity. Int J Urol. 2012 Oct; 19(10):894-900. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22715810.
  3. National Cancer Institute, National Human Genome Research Institute. Chromophobe Renal Cell Carcinoma. The Cancer Genome Atlas. 10/11/2012; http://cancergenome.nih.gov/cancersselected/ChromophobeRenalCellCarcinoma.