About renal
cell carcinoma
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer and accounts for 80–90% of malignant kidney tumors (www.cancer.org). The disease is characterized by a lack of early warning signals and diverse clinical manifestations. Renal cell carcinoma is the sixth leading cause of death, is twice as common in men as in women, and occurs mostly in the fourth to sixth decades of life.
Based on the SEER Cancer Statistic Review, an annual increase in RCC of 2.3% to 4.3% is expected and the estimated new cases and deaths from kidney (renal cell and renal pelvis) cancer in the USA in 2006 are:
- New cases: 38,890 (24,650 males/14,240 females)
- Deaths: 12,840 (8130 males/4710 females)
A majority of patients is diagnosed when the tumor is still relatively localized and amenable to surgical removal; therefore, approximately 40% of all patients with renal cancer survive 5 years. The 5-year survival rate has improved from 52% in 1976 to 62% in 1998. |