Multifocality incidence and accompanying clinicopathological factors in renal cell carcinoma

The incidence of multifocality and associated clinicopathological factors in renal cell carcinoma were evaluated.

Clinicopathological characteristics were assessed for 122 renal cell carcinoma-pathological specimens from 121 patients. Microscopic and gross tumor pathology, incidence of multifocality as well as association between tumor grade, histological subtype, stage, size and vascular involvement were assessed.

Multifocal renal cell carcinoma was diagnosed in 16 of 122 specimens (13.1%). Satellite lesions for 15 of 16 specimens displaying multifocality had the same histological subtype as their primary tumor. The occult multifocality rate was 11.4%. Tumor grade and stage, but not size or volume, histological subtype, and vascular involvement were significantly related to multifocality.

Accurate staging of renal cell carcinoma appears to be essential in determining whether a patient should undergo nephron-sparing surgery or radical nephrectomy. Patients with high stage and grade should receive the highest attention after nephron-sparing surgery. Larger studies are needed to further elucidate the association between clinicopathological factors and multifocality.