Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is an epithelial tumor originating from the proximal renal tubule of the urinary system. RCC is one of the most common and deadly tumors representing clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) (about 75%) as major subtype characterized by high incidence and poor prognosis. There are no obvious clinical symptoms in the early stage ccRCC, but are readily visible in the late stage with >30% patients diagnosed with diffusion and metastasis. The incidence of RCC is higher in males than females and frequent in developed countries than in developing ones. The current treatment for rRCC mainly focuses on surgical excision and chemotherapy, however, it still suffers from high recurrence and poor survival, due to metastatic growth and insensitivity to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Early diagnosis of RCC is very important and remains a top priority for its treatment. Exosomes are small vesicles with a lipid bilayer membrane structure that are actively secreted by normal and cancer cells in the body, containing bioactive substances such as proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. The detection of extracellular vesicles in body fluids can play an important role in the early diagnosis of RCC. This article reviews the role of exosomes in the diagnosis and treatment of RCC.
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