PHENACETIN Chronic use of phenacetin can to lead to analgesic nephropathy with renal papillary necrosis. Howard Hughes cause of death was kidney failure secondary to taking phenacetin for pain. It has been implicated in urothelial neoplasms, especially urothelial carcinoma of the renal pelvis. In one prospective series, phenacetin was associated with an increased risk of death due to urologic or renal diseases.