Pre-operatively determined prognostic factors in metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to clarify the pre-operatively determined factors affecting the prognosis in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We analyzed 69 patients with metastatic RCC who received nephrectomy. Multivariate analysis by Cox's proportional hazards model and survival studies were applied. Tumor thrombus in a renal vein or vena cava was the most significant poor-prognostic factor, followed by multiple-organ metastases and three or more abnormal findings of factors related to acute-phase proteins, in this order. Seven patients having these three risk factors died of cancer within 7 months after nephrectomy. On the other hand, half of the patients without risk factors survived for more than 2 years. Risk status should be used for selection of metastatic-RCC patients for treatment of the primary site.