title: Retrospective analysis of 156 cases of metastatic renal cell carcinoma: evaluation of prognostic factors and response to different treatments.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Metastatic renal cell carcinoma is a "capricious" tumor. Many prognostic factors have been evaluated, treatment is still controversial, and results are not coincident.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed 156 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Survival from the time of diagnosis was the end point of the study. The influence on survival of age, sex, nephrectomy, disease-free interval, performance status, site and number of metastases was analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analysis were done. Survival according to different therapies was also evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In our study, no nephrectomy, a disease-free interval < 24 months, > 2 metastatic sites and a performance status > 2 proved to be risk factors. According to the number of risk factors, 3 groups of patients were identified (low, intermediate and high risk). We observed 3 kinds of responses to treatments: 1) in untreated patients (n = 48), median overall survival was 6 months, and the 24-month survival rate was 8%; 2) in patients treated with hormone therapy and/or chemotherapy (n = 73), median overall survival was 13 months, and the 24-month survival rate was 24%; 3) in patients treated with interferon and/or interleukin-2 (n = 35), median overall survival was 16 months and the 24-month survival rate was 34%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results are only partially in accordance with those observed by other authors. Risk factors and treatment must be determined in more defined and selected studies.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Oncologia Medica Falck, Ospedale Niguarda Cà Granda, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Landonio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baiocchi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cattaneo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gottardi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Majno
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ghislandi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009392:Nephrectomy; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents