papillary kidney cancer

A type of kidney cancer that forms in cells that line the small tubes in the kidney that filter waste from the blood and make urine. Most papillary tumors look like long, thin finger-like growths under a microscope. There are two types of papillary kidney cancer: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 tends to grow slowly and spread to other parts of the body less often than type 2. Patients with a genetic disorder called hereditary papillary renal cancer have an increased risk of type 1 papillary kidney cancer. Patients with a genetic disorder called hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer have an increased risk of type 2 papillary kidney cancer. Also called papillary renal cell carcinoma and PRCC.