title: Factors affecting outcome in renal cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the latest status on prognostic factors in renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Many predictive and prognostic factors can help differentiate between favorable and unfavorable RCC phenotypes. There currently exist several clinical and/or pathological, and biological factors, which have been exclusively tested and used in predictive and prognostic models. Nonetheless, the search for highly informative and reliable factors of disease characteristics and progression continues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Over the last decade, an increase occurred in the number of models that can predict the treated natural history of RCC. Many of these novel models and previously developed models are tested in a head-to-head fashion, with the intent of identifying the most accurate and valuable tools for clinical practice. Novel prognostic factors and more up-to-date models are urgently needed for patients with metastatic RCC, especially in the era of targeted therapies. This should represent the focus of contemporary prognostic modeling in RCC.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prognostics and Health Outcomes Unit, University of Montreal Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Maxine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Shahrokh F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Shariat
authors.forename: Pierre I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Karakiewicz
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor