Comprehensive Analysis of Surgically Treated Renal Tumor Characteristics in Turkey: A Nationwide Study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the kidney tumor characteristics in surgically treated patients in Turkey.

Patients who underwent surgical treatment for kidney tumors between January 2017 and December 2022 in Turkey were retrospectively reviewed through the Health Information Systems of the Ministry of Health. Patient's age, gender, comorbidities, surgical methods, and tumor characteristics were evaluated.

The most common subtype of RCC was clear cell RCC (ccRCC) in 4,892 patients (72%). Papillary RCC (pRCC) was less frequent in patients under 50, with its incidence increasing with age compared to other subtypes (p = 0.006). There was a significant relationship found between hypertension and pathological subtypes (p = 0.002), with pRCC and unclassified RCC contributing to this difference. Among RCC subtypes, as the ISUP/Fuhrman grade increased, the tumor stage also progressed (p < 0.001). Tumors in males and tumors in the left kidney were at more advanced cancer at the time of diagnosis (p < 0.001 and p = 0.006, respectively). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, advanced age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.007, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.001-1.014, p = 0.04), male gender (OR: 0.416, 95% CI: 0.350-0.493, p < 0.001), increased tumor size (OR: 1.117, 95% CI: 1.079-1.156, p < 0.001), and the presence of diabetes mellitus (OR: 1.222, 95% CI: 1.007-1.483, p = 0.042) were found to be independent risk factors for malignancy.

Our study identifies key factors associated with surgically treated renal tumors in Turkey. While aligning with prior research, these findings highlight the need for detailed studies to clarify the impact of biological, demographic, and lifestyle factors on RCC risk and progression, enabling more accurate diagnosis and tailored treatment.