Acute renal failure in cancer patients

Compromise of kidney function in patients with serious medical illnesses, including cancer, is a serious and potentially fatal complication. In cancer patients, the types of renal injury that may occur are more varied than in patients with other underlying illnesses, and definition of the etiology of the decline in renal function may have important therapeutic and prognostic implications. This review article discusses the clinical manifestations and the diagnostic workup of insults to the kidney in patients with cancer. Therapy (excluding dialysis) for each type of renal insufficiency is briefly reviewed.