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Renal Cancer
1
How common is renal cell carcinoma (RCC)?
All solid renal masses and cystic lesions with solid components are suspicious for RCC, which affects approximately 65,000 new patients each year and has a 5-year mortality rate of 35%.
2
What is the etiology of RCC?
The etiology is unknown, but cigarette smoking is a well-known risk factor. Recurrent RCC is a common manifestation in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease.
3
What are the signs and symptoms of RCC?
The most common presenting signs and symptoms are gross or microscopic hematuria. The classic triad of hematuria, flank pain, and an abdominal mass is found in only about 10%–15% of RCC cases. Patients with metastatic disease may present with symptoms of lung or bone metastasis, such as dyspnea, cough, or bone pain. About 20% of RCCs are associated with a paraneoplastic syndrome. Many solid renal tumors are detected incidentally by a computed tomography scan of the abdomen performed for another reason. Stauffer’s syndrome is diagnosed with elevated liver function tests (LFTs) in the presence of RCC that normalize after nephrectomy and tumor removal; it is thought to be a type of paraneoplastic syndrome.
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