Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common form of kidney cancer and is often linked to loss of chromosome 3p, which harbors the VHL tumor suppressor gene, loss of chromosome 14q, which includes HIF1A, and gain of chromosome 5q.
The microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) has been proposed to act as a melanoma oncogene; it also stimulates the transcription of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF1A), the pathway of which is targeted by kidney cancer susceptibility genes.