What We Do
Our mission is to accelerate cures for kidney cancer. We engage in patient advocacy and power research by supporting government and industry research funding, facilitating research collaborations, and offering direct financial support for clinical and laboratory researchers with promising ideas.
Patients, caregivers, family and friends, clinicians and researchers – if your life has been impacted by kidney cancer, we welcome you to our community.
for patients
A kidney cancer diagnosis is overwhelming, but you’re not alone. There are people all over the country who are ready to help you understand your diagnosis and access the best possible treatment.
KidneyCAN provides patient education and support. We are building a patient resource center here on our website, in addition to the direct outreach offered via social media, patient forums, and our special events.
A few times a year, we gather our community for a Town Hall discussion. We invite prominent doctors and research leaders, as well as experienced patients and caregivers, share news to help others. Topics vary, but connecting patients directly to experts is powerful. We love to hear from you!
Whether you are newly diagnosed or have been living with cancer for years, we strive to be a source of community and encouragement.
KidneyCAN Town Halls
In January 2022, KidneyCAN hosted a Town Hall event to learn from leading experts about the latest kidney cancer research news.
Two renowned clinical kidney cancer researchers shared a retrospective of 2021 breakthroughs, along with a look forward at what we can expect in 2022.
Dr. Martin Voss, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, reviewed 2021 research breakthroughs and discussed their impact on patients’ treatment options. Dr. Robert Uzzo, a urologic surgeon at Fox Chase Cancer Center, looked ahead at 2022 research and what patients can expect in the coming months.
Following their presentations, the doctors took questions from patients all over the world. You can watch the full event here.
Want to be in the loop for the next town hall? Make sure you’re subscribed for our newsletters and alerts, and follow us on social media!
for researchers

KidneyCAN is dedicated to accelerating kidney cancer research. We offer opportunities for researchers to network and advocate. Thank you for joining us here!
Our advocacy for the CDMRP Kidney Cancer Research Program has resulted in Congressional appropriations of $135 million for kidney cancer research in fiscal years 2017-2020. (In 2016, this number was $0.) We help researchers get funding and connect with other researchers to keep progress moving.
In 2019, we hosted the first-ever Kidney Cancer Research Summit to bring translational researchers in kidney cancer together in an annual collaborative meeting. In 2020, KCRS reached a global audience of over 800 registrants, and we were excited to have kept this momentum growing with our most successful summit – KCRS21 held on October 7-8, 2021. If you missed out this year, sign-up to receive our newsletters and join in the discussions at KCRS22 on October 6-7, 2022.
ADVOCACY
Making progress toward cures requires advocacy.
What are we advocating for? Awareness? Funding? Research? Cures?
We are committed to advancing kidney cancer research by speaking up for the kidney cancer community. When legislators and organizers meet on Capitol Hill to discuss funding, we make sure kidney cancer gets a seat at the table.
Advocacy work is an all-hands-on-deck endeavor. We invite you to join us and see how empowering it can be to speak up!
NEWLY DIAGNOSED?
You’re not alone. We’ve put together a Patient Resource Center to help you navigate a new diagnosis and beyond. Learn about kidney cancer, various treatment options, patient education events, and how to live well with cancer.
SMART PATIENTS
Sometimes what you really need is to talk to someone who understands. At SmartPatients.com, we have a community of active patients and caregivers who share information and resources.