[Bellini renal cell carcinoma : diagnosis and treatment. A report of 7 cases]

The Bellini collecting duct carcinoma (CDC) is a very rare form of renal cell carcinoma (1%) associated with an extremely poor prognosis.

To study clinical and radiological characteristics of CDC.

From 1993 to 2002, 7 patients with CDC were treated at our institution. The diagnosis of CDC was made by a nephrectomy specimen in all cases. Demographic, clinical, pathological and survival data were gathered.

They were five men and two women with an average age of 63 years. Lumbar pain and hematuria were the main symptoms. At presentation 2 T1N0M0, 1 T2N0M0, 1 T3N0M0, 1 T3N+M0 and 2 T4N+M+ tumors were seen. All patients underwent a radical nephrectomy. The two patients who had TNM stage I disease survived without evidence of disease at 5 years and 11 years respectively. Patients with a T4N+M+ tumor experienced rapid progression and died respectively at 3 and 5 months after nephretomy. The 3 other patients with T3N+M0, T3N0M0 and T2N0M0 disease; respectively; progressed rapidly and were lost to follow-up after one year.

CDC is an aggressive variety of kidney neoplasm that is often associated with nodal and visceral metastases at presentation.It is associated with poor prognosis. For the majority of patients surgical treatment will not result in a cure. Early detection may be the best method for prolonging patient survival.