title: Differences in presentation characteristics of renal cell carcinoma in the last 25 years: a single center experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine trends in clinicopathological characteristics of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cases at presentation in a single institution over a 25-years period.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical files of 505 patients with histologically confirmed primary RCC from 1981 to 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. Host and tumor characteristics at presentation were compared following stratification by hospitalization period (1981-1990, 1991-2000, and 2001-2006).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age at presentation did not change significantly over time. The incidentally diagnosed cases increased significantly by time (10.2, 40.5, 62.7%), in proportion to small (<4 cm) tumors (8.6, 17.3, 30.6%), while tumor diameter decreased significantly (8.5 +/- 3.8, 7.4 +/- 3.5, 5.8 +/- 2.9). The rate of organ-confined tumors increased significantly (42.1, 63.6, 68.9%), followed by a less pronounced decrease of metastatic cases (12.3, 8.9, 6.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The evolution of tumor characteristics at presentation in a single institution is apparent within the last 25 years. Major changes were noticed within organ-confined and small tumors and call for familiarization of urologists with nephron-sparing techniques and novel ablation technologies.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Urology, University of Athens Medical School, Laikon Hospital, Ag.Thoma 17, 11528 Athens, Greece. dmp@otenet.gr
authors.forename: Dionisios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mitropoulos
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrolekas
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Anastasiou
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Adamakis
authors.forename: Aspasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kyroudi-Voulgari
authors.forename: Efraim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Serafetinides
authors.forename: Anastasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zervas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009392:Nephrectomy; D009399:Nephrons / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D047368:Tumor Burden