[Long-term results in the treatment of 100 metastatic hypernephroid carcinomas]

The success of renal cell carcinoma (RCC)-nephrectomy with radical lymph node dissection in stage I and II disease is undisputed. Through these measures 23% of metastases are controlled. The five-year survival time in stage III disease, however, stagnates at 35% +/- 14% despite radical surgery. Also, the additional tumor-vaccine-therapy of the Mainz-Joint-Study-Group was successful only in stage I and II disease, whereas stage III disease did not benefit from this therapy. As 50% of all radically operated patients developed metastases within three years after surgery, the call by radio-oncologists for supplementary radiotherapy beginning with stage III disease must be put foreward. The problems of therapy and chances of survival in generalized disease are demonstrated in 100 of our cases treated by surgery, radiotherapy and with MPA (medroxyprogesteroneacetate). Whereas Schmiedt et al. show a total survival time of 10,3 months after diagnosis of metastatic disease, the Offenbach patients achieved 16,5 months with a median survival time of 11,75 months. The necessity of therapeutic intervention is confirmed by the fact that the most favorable median survival time, 15,75 months, was achieved in metastatic disease involving three organs. We present here the special features of the individual organ manifestations and point out that not only the mean and median survival time, but also the very widely varying survival times in individual cases, make conscientious oncological post-treatment follow up and management a requirement.