Deoxyribonucleic acid content in metastatic renal cell carcinoma: clinical implications

Tumor DNA content was analysed in 26 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The primary tumors were homogenously diploid in ten patients (38%). In 16 patients (62%) an aneuploid DNA content was found in at least one of eight tumor samples analyzed. Patients with diploid tumors survived significantly longer (P less than 0.001) than patients with aneuploid primary tumors (median 32.5 and 6 months, respectively). The DNA content of the metastases seems to give additional prognostic information. The results indicate that DNA content is a useful prognostic predictor in renal cell carcinoma. Patients with homogenously diploid tumors might be treated aggressively with nephrectomy and excision of apparent metastases, particularly solitary, since these patients seem to have a chance for prolonged survival time. Aneuploidy in metastases, solitary and multiple, indicates that nephrectomy is not meaningful.