title: Prognostic factors in patients with renal cell carcinoma: retrospective analysis of 675 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify independent predictors of cause-specific survival in patients affected by renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated retrospectively 675 patients who underwent in our department from 1976 to 1999 radical nephrectomy for RCC. Pathological stage of the primary tumor (TNM, 1997) was pT1 in 326 cases (48%), pT2 in 133 (20%), pT3a in 66 (10%), pT3b in 138 (20%) and pT4 in 12 (2%). According to TNM classification (Union International Contre le Cancer (UICC), 1997) the pathological stage was I in 303 cases (45%), II in 119 (18%), III in 150 (22%) and IV in 103 (15%). Histological grading was assigned according to Fuhrman's classification in only 333 cases: G1 in 25%, G2 in 35%, G3 in 33% and G4 in 7%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cause-specific survival was 77% at 5 years, 69% at 10 years, 64% at 15 years and 57% at 20 years. Five and 10 year cause-specific survival was, respectively 91.4 and 88.5% in pT1 tumors, 84.8 and 72.7% in pT2, 57.4 and 35.6% in pT3a, 47.2 and 33.6% in pT3b-c, and 29.6% in pT4 (P < 0.0001). In relation to the pathological stage according to TNM classification, 5 and 10 year cause-specific survival was, respectively 94 and 91.6% in stage I tumors, 89.7 and 78% in stage II, 63.4 and 46.4% in stage III and 28 and 16.3% in stage IV (P < 0.0001). In relation to the nuclear grade of the primary tumor 5 and 10 year cause-specific survival was, respectively 94 and 88% in G1 tumors, 86 and 75% in G2, 59 and 40% in G3 and 31% in G4 (P < 0.0001). At multivariate analysis pathological stage of the primary tumor, lymph nodes involvement, presence of distant metastases at diagnosis and nuclear grading resulted all independent predictors of cause-specific survival in patients with RCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pathological stage of primary tumors, lymph nodes involvement, presence of distant metastases at diagnosis and nuclear grading according to Fuhrman resulted all independent predictors of cause-specific mortality in patients with RCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Ospedale Policlinico, Verona, Italy. vincenzoficarra@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ficarra
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Righetti
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pilloni
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'amico
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maffei
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Novella
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zanolla
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Malossini
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mobilio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D002423:Cause of Death; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors