Background: Although many factors have been reported as predictors of the recurrence of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), none of the factors are consistent among different studies. In the study presented here, the potential clinicopathological predictors of the recurrence of N0M0 RCC were examined.
Methods: A total of 201 patients who underwent nephrectomy for N0M0 RCC were examined to determine the pathological tumor stage (pT stage), pathological tumor grade of malignancy (tumor grade), symptoms, and tumor size.
Results: RCC recurred in 29 patients (14.4%), 50% of whom developed new tumors within 24 months after nephrectomy. The disease-free 3- and 10-year survival rates declined as the pT stage and tumor grade increased: these rates were, respectively, 98.6% and 86.5% for pT1a; 93.7% and 87.9% for pT1b; 100% and 100% for pT2; 78.6% and 58.0% for pT3a; and 88.9% and 16.7% for pT3b. Significant differences in the recurrence rate were noted between pT3 and pT1 or pT2, as well as between grade 3 disease and grade 1 or grade 2 tumors. Multivariate analysis showed that a combination of the pT stage, grade, and presence of symptoms was useful for predicting the recurrence of RCC.
Conclusion: The present study showed that patients undergoing nephrectomy for N0M0 RCC should be followed-up carefully for 2 years postoperatively with special attention to high pT stage, high grade, and the development of symptoms.