question: hi dr. rynne, my sister passed away from renal cell carcinoma. can that be genetic? for several months, i ve been having a pain/ache/discomfort (varies depending on what i m doing) in the area of my right kidney (i think) that was the first symptom my sister had when she was diagnosed with stage 4. i don t have insurance, so i don t want to get tests that aren t necessary. it s ok, if you re not comfortable or able to answer this question without more information. i m just wondering... thanks, diane carey