The Great Masquerader's New Wardrobe in the Modern Era: The Paraneoplastic Manifestations of Renal Cancer.

Paraneoplastic syndromes can occur in 8% to 20% of individuals with malignancies. They can occur in a variety of cancers that include breast, gastric, leukemia, lung, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, testicular, as well as kidney. The classic presentation of the triad of mass, hematuria, and flank pain occurs in less than 15% of patients with renal cancer. Because of the protean presentations of renal cell cancer, it has been referred to as the internist's tumor or the great masquerader. This article will provide a review of the causes of these symptoms.