Guida F, Tan VY, Corbin LJ, et al. - Findings indicate that blood metabolome play a potentially vital role in kidney cancer aetiology.

• Excess bodyweight and associated metabolic perturbations have been implicated in kidney cancer aetiology.

• This analysis involved 1,305 kidney cancer cases and 1,305 healthy controls.

• The link between kidney cancer and the levels of 1,416 metabolites, measured in blood on average 8 years before the disease onset, was examined.

• A total of 25 metabolites showed a robust association with kidney cancer risk.

• Specifically, there were inverse associations of multiple glycerophospholipids with the risk of kidney cancer, while several amino acids were positively related to the risk.

• Body mass index (the principal modifiable risk factor of kidney cancer) had an influence on some—but not all—metabolites associated with kidney cancer risk.