title: [Significance of anemia as an independent prognostic factor in patients with renal cell carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to analyze the significance of anemia as well as other prognostic factors influencing survival in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of data of 316 patients who underwent surgery between 1970 and 2003 was performed. Most important known prognostic factors of RCC were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of patients had T1b-T2, low nuclear grade and single tumours. In 8.2% and 9% of cases, lymph node and metastatic dissemination were detected at the time of diagnosis, respectively. At the beginning, most frequent symptoms were hematuria and pain, with anemia (Hb >10g/dl) in 69 patients. After a median follow-up of 50 months, 24.1% of patients had a recurrence. From these, more than 50% developed recurrence within one year after nephrectomy. Advanced tumours (T3-4) consisted of high nuclear grade (III-IV) tumours, larger size tumours, with necrosis and vascular infiltration in surgical specimen, as well as lymph node and metastatic dissemination. In multivariate analysis, anemia, time to recurrence, type of treatment for recurrence as well as lymph node dissemination were independent factors of cancer specific survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anemia seems to be a marker of recurrence and progression in patients with renal cell carcinoma undergoing nephrectomy. From our point of view, anemia could be considered a significantly high mortality rate for renal cancer in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Central de Austurias, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Espanã. jmfernandezgomez@telefonica.net
authors.forename: Jesús María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fernández Gómez
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jalón Monzón
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alvarez Múgica
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García Rodríguez
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Miranda Aranzubía
authors.forename: Roberto Carlos
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: González Alvarez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000740:Anemia / Q000150:complications*; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult