title: A simple prognostic model for overall survival in metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The primary purpose of this study was to develop a simpler prognostic model to predict overall survival for patients treated for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) by examining variables shown in the literature to be associated with survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients treated for mRCC at two Canadian centres. All patients who started first-line treatment were included in the analysis. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model was constructed using a stepwise procedure. Patients were assigned to risk groups depending on how many of the three risk factors from the final multivariate model they had.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were three risk factors in the final multivariate model: hemoglobin, prior nephrectomy, and time from diagnosis to treatment. Patients in the high-risk group (two or three risk factors) had a median survival of 5.9 months, while those in the intermediate-risk group (one risk factor) had a median survival of 16.2 months, and those in the low-risk group (no risk factors) had a median survival of 50.6 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In multivariate analysis, shorter survival times were associated with hemoglobin below the lower limit of normal, absence of prior nephrectomy, and initiation of treatment within one year of diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Centre, American University of Beirut, Lebanon;; Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada;
authors.forename: Hazem I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Assi
authors.affiliation: Segal Cancer Centre, Jewish General Hospital, Department of Oncology and Department of Medicine, Hematology Division, Montreal, QC, Canada;
authors.forename: Francois
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Patenaude
authors.affiliation: Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, Canada;
authors.forename: Ethan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Toumishey
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, The Moncton Hospital, Moncton, NB, Canada;
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, The Moncton Hospital, Moncton, NB, Canada;
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdelsalam
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada;; Department of Oncology, Saint John Regional Hospital, Saint John, NB, Canada;; Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Reiman