Editorial Comment

Abstract

Most patients treated surgically for renal cortical tumors are >40 years old. In some series, larger, symptomatic tumors with regional nodes have been reported to be more likely in younger patients, 1 Sanchez-Ortiz R.F. Rosser C.J. Madsen L.T. et al. Young age is an independent prognostic factor for survival of sporadic renal cell carcinoma. J Urol. 2004; 171: 2160-2165 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (77) Google Scholar but this has not been confirmed by others. 2 Gillett M.D. Cheville J.C. Karnes R.J. et al. Comparison of presentation and outcome for patients 18 to 40 and 60 to 70 years old with solid renal masses. J Urol. 2005; 173: 1893-1896 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (77) Google Scholar At our center, we reported a surgical series of 89 (5%) of 1720 patients <40 years old and found that these patients were more likely to have chromophobe carcinoma and symptomatic tumors, although the cancer-specific survival was not different than that of the older patients. 3 Thompson R.H. Ordonez M.A. Iasonos A. et al. Renal cell carcinoma in young and old patients-is there a difference?. J Urol. 2008; 180: 1262-1266 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (87) Google Scholar These conflicting reports on the prognosis of younger patients likely reflects small institutional experiences and differences in the referral patterns to surgeons or medical oncologists according to the clinical stage (localized or advanced) at presentation. Young Age as Favorable Prognostic Factor for Cancer-specific Survival in Localized Renal Cell CarcinomaUrologyVol. 77Issue 4PreviewTo evaluate the prognostic effect of age in patients with localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and investigate the incidence of Xp11 translocation RCC in young patients who developed recurrence. Full-Text PDF