[The annual national epidemiologic survey of tumors of the kidney (April 1993-March 1994: 970 patients). The Committee of Oncology of the French Society of Urology].

OBJECTIVE

Annual national epidemiological evaluation of renal tumours by means of a multicentre survey proposed by the oncology committee of the Association Française d'Urologie.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From April 1, 1993 to March 31, 1994, 970 patients were recruited by 54 centres. A computer form was completed for each patient, including: the patient's age and sex, modalities of discovery of the tumour, complementary investigations (radiological and laboratory tests) performed, treatment performed, TNM staging, histological characteristics of the tumour.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 62.1 years with a sex ratio of 2 males to 1 female. The rate of incidental tumours was 40%. Radical nephrectomy was performed in 90% of cases and conservative surgery was performed in 7% of cases. Medical treatment was instituted in 5% of cases. The distribution of tumours by TNM stage was: pT1: 8%, pT2: 53%, pT3a: 21% and pT3b: 18%. Lymph node involvement was detected in 12% of cases, and visceral metastases were identified in 6% of cases. 80% of incidental tumours were intracapsular. The predominant histological type was renal cell carcinoma (66%). The mean tumour size for the entire series of tumours was 6.4 +/- 3.5 cm and was significantly larger in symptomatic patients and in those with poor prognostic factors (adrenal involvement, inferior vena cava invasion, lymph node and/or visceral involvement). Adrenal and inferior vena cava involvement was detected in 4% of cases. 14% of patients had multifocal tumours, which was not correlated with either the size of the tumour or the cell type. The nuclear grade was determined in 66% of cases and was significantly correlated with perirenal fat and lymph node involvement.

CONCLUSION

This survey collected approximately 1/5 of all new annual cases of renal cell carcinoma in France and therefore provided a precise evaluation of the current epidemiology of this tumour.