Renal cell carcinoma: Overview

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for 3% of all adult cancers. The incidence rates for kidney cancer are highest in European and Scandinavian countries and North America (1). It is estimated that 36,160 new cases of kidney and renal pelvis cancer were diagnosed in 2005, with an estimated 12,660 resulting deaths in the United States (2). There has been a 30% increase in incidence in the last 20 years. Although this increased incidence is partly a result of more widespread and aggressive imaging, current reports show a real increase in incidence. Renal cell carcinoma is a tumor of adults occurring primarily after the 5th decade of life. It occurs one-and-a-half times as often in men as in women (3:2) (3). Childhood RCC is uncommon, representing only 2% to 6% of all renal tumors in children. Bilateral tumors are identified in 2% to 5% of the patients. © 2008 Springer-Verlag London