[Etiology, pathogenesis and therapy of renal cell carcinoma]

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) of the kidney accounts für 1-2% of all cancers and is the most common cancer arising in the adult kidney. The cause of RCC is not known. Several studies have shown a greater risk in smokers. Other factors are long-term dialysis and obesity, e.g. The morphological types of RCC have characteristic cytogenetic changes, but the details of genetic changes in renal tumorigenesis are not well understood. Approximately 13%-18% of patients with RCC have metastatic disease at initial presentation, and their prognosis remains unfavorable, because RCC is resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Only one-third of patients with RCC cured, and strenous efforts are being made to optimize immunotherapy in patients with advanced or metastatic disease.