Renal cell carcinoma: Risk assessment and prognostic factors for newly diagnosed patients

• Published in: Critical reviews in oncology/hematology Vol. 70; no. 1; pp. 59 - 70
• Main Authors: Downs, Tracy M, Schultzel, Matthew, Shi, Helen, Sanders, Catherine, Tahir, Zunera, Sadler, Georgia Robins
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.04.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma, Renal Cell - diagnosis; Carcinoma, Renal Cell - genetics; Carcinoma, Renal Cell - mortality; Carcinoma, Renal Cell - pathology; Gene Expression Profiling; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Humans; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Kidney Neoplasms - diagnosis; Kidney Neoplasms - genetics; Kidney Neoplasms - mortality; Kidney Neoplasms - pathology; Kidneys; Medical sciences; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Neoplasm Staging; Nephrectomy; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; Outcomes; Prognosis; Quality of Life; Renal cancer; Risk Assessment; Tumors of the urinary system; Renal cancer; Nephrectomy; Risk assessment; Outcomes; Quality of life; Kidney disease; Human; Urinary system disease; Carcinoma; Prognosis; Early stage; Malignant tumor; Epidemiology; Cancerology; Treatment; Surgery; Kidney cancer; Risk factor; Grawitz tumor; Cancer
• ISSN: 1040-8428; 1879-0461
• DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2008.08.006

Abstract Surgical management of renal cell carcinoma is the most effective treatment for patients with localized disease. In patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, immune modulation-based therapies are typically used to improve cancer-specific survival. Similar to most cancers, tumor grade and stage are linked to the tumor's biologic potential. Integrating these factors with patients’ performance status can help predict their long-term disease-free survival, the likelihood of tumor recurrence, and the median time to failure following surgery and immunotherapy. A novel integrated staging system and a postoperative renal cell carcinoma specific nomogram, along with standardized quality of life assessments have been shown to be useful clinical tools to aid in patient counseling, determining optimal follow-up imaging protocols, and identifying patients who might benefit from early enrollment in adjuvant therapy protocols. This article offers clinicians a review and summary of the most recent evidence-based research related to risk assessment among patients with newly diagnosed renal cell carcinoma.