Renal cell carcinoma: diagnosis and treatment, 1994-2003

Thomas E. Hutson, DO, PharmD

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common malignancy of the kidney and accounts for approximately 3% of adult cancers. From 1994 to 2003, the tumor registry at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas recorded 700 patients with RCC (424 men and 276 women); most patients were diagnosed in the fifth and sixth decades of life. The demographics and distribution of these cases compare with national data. Clear-cell carcinoma was the most common histologic type. Survival regardless of treatment type compares favorably with historical data of patients diagnosed with RCC nationally. The Baylor Sammons Cancer Center has developed a multidisciplinary Renal Cell Cancer Center consisting of a dedicated genitourinary medical oncologist, urologic oncologist, and research staff. RCC patients at Baylor have access to the latest advancements in the treatment of all stages of this disease, including clinical trials.